Virginia Main Street Summer Toolkit

Location:
Gateway Theater
329 West Main Street
Waynesboro, Virginia

Every Main Street community focuses its economic redevelopment on the assets that make it unique – its historic architecture, eclectic mix of shopping and dining and festivals. But only a short hike, paddle or bike ride away is often an undervalued asset waiting to be incorporated into the downtown mix, outdoor recreation. Outdoor recreation opportunities contribute millions of tourist dollars to local economies each year and enhance the local quality of life.

The 2013 Virginia Main Street Toolkit, Bringing the Outdoors Downtown: Outdoor recreation and Main Street revitalization, is designed to help communities focus the Main Street Four Point Approach ® on exactly that question.

Join the state’s engaged network of downtown revitalization professionals and volunteers for this fast-paced, interactive event.

Toolkit Agenda and Registration Information – PDF

Register Here 

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Governor McDonnell announces designation of two new Virginia Main Street communities

On June 7, Governor Bob McDonnell announced the designation of two new Virginia Main Street communities. With the addition of Ashland and Fredericksburg to the network, the total number of designated Virginia Main Street communities now stands at 26.

“I am pleased to welcome these communities to the Virginia Main Street program,” said Governor McDonnell. “By supporting local economic revitalization strategies, leveraging private investment and utilizing Main Street program resources these communities can spark entrepreneurship and job creation in their historic downtowns.”

Each community brings a unique set of historic assets and strategic focus to its revitalization work. Ashland is strengthening ties with its local college and building on the local quality of life of an historic railroad town. Downtown Fredericksburg’s remarkable historic architectural heritage and location provides significant opportunities for increased private investment and business development in the downtown.

 Virginia Main Street will provide technical assistance, training, and expert resources to assist the communities with aligning resources and achieving their downtown development goals. A program of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, Virginia Main Street uses the National Main Street Four Point Approach® model to encourage private investment and job creation in Virginia’s downtowns. The program helps communities develop strategies that create economic growth and pride in their downtown areas.

Main Street Matters contest

Benjamin Moore is currently holding the “Main Street Matters” contest where they will paint 20 Main streets across the U.S. and Canada.

On the “Main Street Matters” website, it is stated that Benjamin Moore will be completing all of the projects throughout the next year with the help of local Benjamin Moore retailers and painting contractors.

We encourage everyone to try to get their communities on the list or to vote for the Virginia communities already listed.

State Theatre Reopens in Culpeper

Culpeper’s State Theatre is the topic of the National Main Street Center’s Main Street Weekly May 14 edition. The $9.3 million historic rehabilitation of the 1938 Art Deco theater replaced a blighting, vacant building with a 560-seat state-of-the-art entertainment venue in the heart of Culpeper’s bustling Main Street district. The theater’s restoration has already spurred additional private investment in the Main Street district, including a $3 million banquet hall to complement the theater’s programming.

Historic tax credits helped make the State Theatre restoration possible. The State Theatre Foundation used $1.6 million in federal historic tax credits and an additional $1.6 million in state historic tax credits.

“The State Theatre has all the ingredients of the type of project that the historic tax credit was designed to support: an iconic historic building, great community benefit and a top-notch rehabilitation that would be difficult, if not impossible, to finance using only conventional sources,” John Leith-Tetrault, president of the National Trust Community Investment Corporation, the National Trust’s for-profit subsidiary and a tax credit investor in the State Theatre project.

For more information on historic tax credits, contact the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

The State Theatre joins several other restored and fully operational historic theaters in Virginia Main Street communities, including the Barter Theatre in Abingdon (built 1933), the Paramount in Bristol (built 1931), the Lincoln Theatre in Marion (built 1928) and the Visulite (built 1937) and Dixie Theater (built 1912) in Staunton. Hopewell’s Beacon Theater (built 1928), Lynchburg’s Academy of Music (built 1905) and Waynesboro’s Wayne Theatre (built 1926) are all currently undergoing multi-million dollar restorations and will soon, once again, be entertainment destinations in their regions. A full list of Virginia’s historic theaters is available from the League of Historic American Theatres.

2013 VMS Milestone Achievement Awards

On March 22, the Virginia Main Street Program presented Milestone Achievement Awards to 15 Designated Main Street communities. The awards were presented at Richmond’s historic Hippodrome Theater.

Representatives from Lynch’s Landing Foundation and the city of Lynchburg accept awards for more than 90,000 volunteer hours dedicated to downtown revitalization and more than $100 million of private investment in Lynchburg’s historic commercial district since 2000. The awards were presented by Secretary of Commerce and Trade Jim Cheng and VMS Program Manager Jeff Sadler.

At the ceremony that focused on the results of Main Street efforts, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Jim Cheng spoke to the audience of more than 70 downtown revitalization volunteers and professionals about the visible results of their leadership. “Virginia main streets are thriving because of the collaboration between public and private sector, local and state governments and the citizens of each community getting involved to make their downtowns an attractive place to live, work and play,” said Cheng.

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Director Bill Shelton pointed to downtown progress through the numbers. “In the last five years, designated Main Street communities have sparked more than $252 million in private investment in their districts,” said Shelton. “As a result, last year, there was a net collective gain of 424 jobs across the 25 Main Street downtown districts.”

“Historic Main Street communities are much more than bricks and mortar. They serve as the heart and soul of our communities as they evoke the stories of our past while providing incomparable economic and cultural opportunities which sustain the quality of life for all citizens,” said Cate Magennis Wyatt, former Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade and the founder of The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership. “Our national surveys have found that 84 percent of potential visitors are, first and foremost, attracted to the region because of our quaint small towns. The work of the Virginia Main Street Program is critically important to creating jobs and attracting these visitors to the commonwealth.”

 Below is a list of award recipients:

 Volunteerism Milestone Achievement Awards
1,000 Volunteer Hours
St. Paul Tomorrow, Inc.
5,000 Volunteer Hours
Advance Abingdon
Downtown Blackstone, Inc.
20,000 Volunteer Hours
Berryville Main Street
Orange Downtown Alliance, Inc.
25,000 Volunteer Hours
Waynesboro Downtown Development, Inc.
55,000 Volunteer Hours
Historic Manassas, Inc.
80,000 Volunteer Hours
Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance
Staunton Downtown Development Association
90,000 Volunteer Hours
Lynch’s Landing Foundation

Private Investment Milestone Achievement Awards
$100 Million in Private Investment
Lynch’s Landing Foundation and the city of Lynchburg
$110 Million in Private Investment
Winchester Old Town Development Board and the city of Winchester

Building Improvement Milestone Achievement Awards
250 Building Projects
Main Street Radford, Inc. and the city of Radford
500 Building Projects
Staunton Downtown Development Association and the city of Staunton

Special Achievement Awards
Marion Downtown Revitalization Association
Believe in Bristol

25 Years of Main Street
Culpeper Renaissance, Inc. and the town of Culpeper
Historic Manassas, Inc. and the city of Manassas

April 23 Opportunity Summit to Spotlight SWVA Entreprenteurship

An Opportunity Summit will highlight new strategies and resources for Southwest Virginia entrepreneurs and emerging businesses. Entrepreneurs and small business owners will have the opportunity to connect with community leaders and explore possible new ventures in the counties of Tazewell, Russell, Buchanan, Dickenson, Wise, Lee and Scott and the city of Norton.

Entrepreneurs developing business plans and seeking financial resources, community support and education and training should plan to attend the summit. Key announcements at the Summit will include details on the Entrepreneur Challenge, a competition for start-up and expanding businesses with more than $30,000 in cash awards for businesses developing strategic business plans.  In addition, Virginia Community Capital will provide an update on the progress of the region’s new Angel Investment Fund.

Entrepreneurs and investors will learn of local initiatives in the area that will provide grounds for future business growth, including efforts of the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation, Spearhead Trails, the Clinch River Valley Initiative and the Blueprint for Entrepreneurial Growth and Economic Prosperity in Southwest Virginia.

Summit topics will include: tourism business opportunities, technology business opportunities, Main Street initiatives and business basics including writing a business plan, etc. Instruction will be provided by Virginia Department of Business Assistance, People, Inc., Virginia Small Business Development Centers, Virginia Tourism Corporation  and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

The April 23 event will run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center in Lebanon.

A vendor expo will provide future entrepreneurs an opportunity to meet and speak with local county and town representatives who will provide business information and incentives for new entrepreneurs.  Resource agencies will provide expo information and assistance to entrepreneurs and small business owners.

The collaborative initiative, driven by local, state and regional partners will focus on tools for new entrepreneurs, strategies for making the region’s communities attractive for private investment and new technologies for the region’s businesses.

The summit is open to community leaders, residents, existing businesses and those considering starting a business in the region.  It is free with advance registration and will include breakfast and lunch provided by the sponsoring partners. Registration is online at vastartup.org.  For more information, call Brandi Hall at (276) 889-8188.

Mission vs. Vision

There is usually a lot of confusion between mission and vision statements. Many hours are spent debating the differences between mission and vision. In short,  mission statements are the main objectives of an organization, and vision statements are the long-term goals envisioned for the organization’s growth.

A mission statement speaks to what the company is now. It concentrates on the present, is short-termed and informs the organization’s desired level of performance.

A vision statement outlines what a company wants to be. It concentrates on the future and is long-termed. It is meant to inspire and challenge, as well as to provide clear decision-making criteria.

An effective mission statement should address the following:

• Purpose and values of the organization
• Who are the organization’s primary clients?
• What are the responsibilities of the organization towards these clients?
• What are the main goals and objectives that support the organization in accomplishing its mission?

An effective vision statement should:

• Be clear and unambiguous
• Provide a clear snapshot of the organization’ future
• Be inspirational and provide hope
• Be memorable
• Align with organizational values and culture