We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.
Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.
Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!
Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.
T‑Mobile Hometown Grant Program Reaches 200 Winners
Today, T-Mobile announced its next round of Hometown Grant recipients, reaching a milestone of 200 towns. With projects focused on revamping outdoor spaces, building event venues, providing Wi-Fi connectivity and more, the latest 25 recipients will begin turning ideas into reality with help from T-Mobile.
With a record of over 600 applications this time around, the growing interest in Hometown Grants is a testament to the profound impact T-Mobile is making on small towns across the country.
T-Mobile works with Main Street America and Smart Growth America to select Hometown Grant recipients. These two organizations have decades of experience helping to build stronger, more prosperous small towns and rural communities. Application assessments are based on level of detail and completeness, potential community impact, project viability and other factors.
“The T-Mobile Hometown Grant program has made a massive impact in small towns and rural communities across the country,” said Main Street America Interim CEO Hannah White. “Grantees have renovated historic spaces, built new playgrounds and parks, and spurred innovative placemaking projects that are bringing community members together in new and meaningful ways. We are thrilled to partner with T-Mobile and Smart Growth America to continue this important work in places that are too-often overlooked.”
These are the next 25 winners and their projects:
• *Osceola, Ark.: Revitalize the Osceola Main Street Bingo Hall Community Space as a hub for community events, festivals, family gatherings, workshops and so much more. • *Montrose, Colo.: Construct a playground at Riverside Landing, adjacent to the new Ambulatory Care Center (target construction completion Feb. 2024), to provide play for patients and families awaiting care. • *Quincy, Fla.: Repair the roof for the soon-to-be permanent location of the Big Bend Community Development Corporation’s Florida Museum of African American History, to serve as education for Gadsden County students and preserve Main Street initiatives. • Paxton, Ill.: Install a free public Wi-Fi network in downtown Paxton to provide connectivity for customers, residents and local business owners. • *Ottawa, Kan.: Create a state-of-the-art open-air body weight exercise Fitness Court, adaptable for adults of all ages, abilities and fitness levels, presented by the National Fitness Campaign and Kansas state sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas. • Grayson, Ky.: Restore the water damaged roof of the Carter County Public Library, in the heart of downtown Grayson, for the community to have regained access to public technology resources. • Princeton, Ky.: Renovate the second floor of the George Coon Public Library, making enhancements for children and teen patrons to enjoy, while also creating a multifunctional space, filling a community need after recent tornado damage. • Brunswick, Md.*: Place Wayfinding Kiosks in downtown Brunswick to provide navigation for visitors and residents and allow the City of Brunswick, Brunswick Main Street, local businesses and community organizations to promote various activities and events. • Easton, Md.*: Update technology at the Brookletts Place Talbot County Senior Center computer lab, including 20 computer stations to provide the senior community with access to connectivity, classes and hands-on learning opportunities. • Red Wing, Minn.*: Commission the “Honoring Dakota – We Are All Related” mural to celebrate the Dakota people, their history, and honor their contributions to the community. • Silver Bay, Minn.: Transform the current North Shore Area Partners’ community-centric building and city lot into a vibrant and accessible intergenerational gathering place in downtown Silver Bay, including gardens and green spaces, and the installation of a solar array to increase the organization’s environmental and economic sustainability. • Corinth, Miss.*: Revamp the existing children’s section of the Corinth Public Library, including child-friendly learning activities, new floor seating, an interactive play area and nearly 1,200 new books, some in Spanish language. • Laurel, Mont.: Build the new Laurel City Splash Park in Thomson Park, replacing an old pool that is no longer in use, as a way for the community to cool off during hot summer months. • Goldsboro, N.C.*: Develop the first-ever STEM Program at Edgewood School, including monthly STEM project kits to provide innovative learning environments that are student focused, "hands on" and spark collaborative problem-solving opportunities for students with disabilities. • Dover, N.J.: Design the Town of Dover Trail, a quarter mile-long trail connecting residents to communal parks and each other, with a greater mission to create more than 100 miles of communal greenspace along the Morris Canal. • Carlsbad, N.M.*: Renovate the existing Carlsbad Public Library to serve as a multi-purpose space, providing access to public internet, technology resources and digital archive materials as well as a community meeting space for digital literacy, telehealth, and job training. • Otisville, N.Y.: Upgrade the parking lot of the Old Otisville School – now a multipurpose community center – including new parking lot signage and ground repairs, to improve safety and accessibility and aid in existing historic building preservation efforts. • Wapakoneta, Ohio: Install the community's first-ever All-Abilities playground at Harmon Park, whose space theme includes a rocket ship and interactive panels, with interpretive signage that shares the story of the first moonwalker, Neil A. Armstrong, his relationship with Wapakoneta, and his great ability to be a team player and a problem-solver. • Ada, Okla.*: Create the first-ever STEAM-SOS (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics – Seniors on Saturdays) program, pairing seniors from the Irving Community Senior Center with local high school and college students to collaborate in various technology fields including coding, digital fabrication and physical design. • Hamburg, Pa.: Construct a nearly 3,000 square foot multi-purpose facility in the downtown Hamburg business district, including a covered stage, kitchen area with two concession windows, public restrooms, and off-street parking lot, for the community to use as a hub for live performances and other family-oriented activities. • Levelland, Texas*: Transform an outdoor space in the downtown area as the future Farmer’s Market Park; a family-friendly space that includes free public Wi-Fi, a community garden, stage for performances, seating, a water feature and a farmer-themed mural to increase community gathering. • New Castle, Va.: Build a covered colonnade pavilion at the Craig County Farmers Market, for local merchants and farmers to sell goods, and for the community to use as an entertainment venue and gathering space. • Burlington, Vt.: Revitalize downtown Burlington’s Champlain Street Park, including new inclusive playground equipment and accessible pathway, benches, bike racks, lighting and landscaping. • Colville, Wash.*: Improve and beautify the Heritage Court, an existing gathering space used for various community activities and holiday events, by adding a mural, shade structure, free public Wi-Fi, seating and other inviting amenities. • Huntington, W.Va.: Complete final beautification renovations at Central City Park, including new cafe-style seating and public art sculptures for community gatherings.
*Main Street America Member Community
T-Mobile awards Hometown Grants each quarter for up to 25 towns with a population of less than 50,000 people. Anyone with a vision for how to make their community even stronger than it is today can apply. For more information or to apply, click here.
Urban Impact Inc., harnesses strategic investments and collaborative efforts to foster a vibrant and sustainable future, from visionary adaptive reuse ventures to transformative development grants for small businesses and property owners in Birmingham, Alabama's historic 4th Avenue Black Business District.
Online registration and the regular rate are available through Friday, April 26. Download the conference mobile app, sign-up for the attendee webinar, grab some Shop Main Street merch, get recommendations, and more!
With just a little over a month to go until we convene in Birmingham, Alabama, for the 2024 Main Street Now Conference from May 6-8, we are excited to announce that the full schedule is available online and the mobile app is ready for download.
From budgets and staffing to programming priorities and the myriad of backgrounds that bring people to Main Street, the insights and key findings from this year's trends survey provide a snapshot of the state of the Main Street Movement.
REV Birmingham and Woodlawn United share how they work to reenergize spaces and places in Birmingham, Alabama, through civic infrastructure projects in the city’s historic commercial corridors.
With a specially priced registration rate of $199, tailored education track, free lunch & learn session, and abundant networking opportunities, Main Street Now 2024 is made for civic leaders passionate about community preservation and economic development in historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial corridors.
Opportunities to experience time-tested Main Street Approach techniques and creative solutions in action abound in Birmingham with these great excursions.
Starting in early 2024, we will engage in an intensive program assessment of MSAI. We look forward to bringing an enhanced Main Street professional development experience to the network later in the year.
Founded in 2003 and currently housed within the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Michigan Main Street (MMS) recently celebrated 20 years of impact across 41 communities.
This three-week live, online course will prepare local leaders to more effectively work with small business owners in their districts and create an environment that is supportive of entrepreneurship.
We are excited to share a recent collaboration with Spark! Places of Innovation, a traveling exhibition curated by the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program.
We are excited to welcome Jenice Contreras to the Main Street America Board of Directors. Jenice has a long record of leadership across community and economic development with deep experience with equitable growth, small-scale development, and cultural preservation.
Join Main Street America experts in Vancouver, Wash., to gain first-hand experience in harnessing transformation strategies to successfully revitalize your Main Street!
We are excited to announce that 862 Main Street programs across the country have earned Accredited status, Main Street America’s top level of recognition.
The MSARP credential is the highest level of achievement offered through the Main Street America Institute, requiring dedication to completing a rigorous curriculum of online courses, readings, assignments, workshops, and a challenging final exam.
Over the course of three days, nearly 1900 Main Streeters from near and far gathered for dynamic educational sessions, immersive mobile workshops, and network-building activities.
Check out our new shop featuring clothing and apparel, accessories, home and office goods, and kids’ and baby items inspired by the Main Street Movement.
Main Street America is proud to recognize John Bry, Program Coordinator at Main Street Oakland County (MSOC) in Michigan, as the 2023 Mary Means Leadership Award recipient.
We’re excited to announce a new suite of resources designed for Main Street! The Main Street Foundations Series provides an overview of each Point through four comprehensive introductory videos, one-page guides, materials from our resource center, and more.
From the ongoing pivots needed to meet changing community needs to the timeless power of place, these are the most popular blog posts we published this year.
At the Opening Plenary at the Main Street Now Conference in Richmond, Virginia, Patrice Frey shared lessons and reflections from her past nine years at Main Street.
Leverage NC, a partnership between North Carolina Main Street and the North Carolina League of Municipalities, hosted a four-part webinar series titled Better Community Planning & Economic Development led by Ed McMahon, Chair Emeritus of Main Street America and a leading national authority on land use policy and economic development.
A series of small, incremental improvements, when taken together, provide momentum for long-term economic transformation and improved quality of life in a community.
The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) during its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The National Main Street Center and the Brookings Institution have jointly authored a response to Mr. Hyman’s piece, The Reality of Main Street, that is featured on Brookings’ blog.
Michigan Main Street Center was the first Coordinating Program to implement the new Main Street approach on a large scale. In this article, they share their robust process and valuable lessons.
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Back in October 2015, we introduced the three key components of the refreshed Main Street Approach: inputs, outputs and Community Transformation Strategies.
For a lucky few downtowns, greatness may happen effortlessly with a strong sense of place that seems to develop organically and simply sustain itself. For most places, success doesn’t happen by chance.
While there have been over $1.2 billion in public and private investment in Wisconsin Main Street communities over the past 27 years, what really makes it special are the people and places that have been involved.
Although a “beach town,” Rehoboth Beach is open 365 days a year, and with that has the unique challenge of catering to both year-round residents and tourists within a wide range of ages, interests and economic levels
In communities across the country, hardworking business owners and buy local advocates come together to foster an organized effort to reinvent and revitalize Main Streets and downtown districts.
The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce that Cape Girardeau, Mo., Montclair Center, N.J., and Rawlins, Wyo. were selected as the 2015 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winners.