Culpeper – 2012 Great American Main Street Award Winner

Congratulations to Culpeper Renaissance, Inc., a 2012 Great American Main Street Awards® (GAMSA) winner.  Recognized as a leader in implementing the Main Street Four-Point Approach®, embracing sound historic preservation practices and building strategic partnerships, Culpeper Renaissance, Inc. (CRI) was honored at the Main Street Awards Ceremony at the 2012 National Main Streets Conference in Baltimore, Md.

The National Trust Main Street Center’s annual GAMSA awards recognize exceptional accomplishments in revitalizing the nation’s historic Main Street commercial districts. CRI is credited with leading the once-thriving downtown district back to vitality after steady decline that began in the 1970s. The demolition threat to a once-bustling train depot was the spark that ignited citizen action. CRI was formed in 1987, became a Main Street program in 1988 and joined public and private entities in redeveloping the depot, making streetscape and infrastructure improvements and restoring badly damaged storefronts. Vacancies are now down to 6 percent from 86, thanks to a mix of banks, boutiques and coffee shops. Upper floor apartments along Culpeper’s Davis Street are occupied, and the downtown is again thriving.

Culpeper demonstrates what can be achieved with a strong commitment to historic preservation and a broad base of supporters,” says Doug Loescher, director of the National Trust Main Street Center. “This combination enabled its swift but thoughtful recovery from the 2011 earthquake and promises a bright future for Culpeper as a growing regional cultural and entertainment destination.

A great two-minute video summarizing the town’s accomplishments was shown at the awards presentation ceremony and can be viewed on the Culpeper Renaissance, Inc. 2012 GAMSA page.

Culpeper is the fourth Virginia Main Street community to be awarded a Great American Main Street Award. Previous Virginia GAMSA award winners include Staunton (2002), Manassas (2003) and Lynchburg (2006).

Congratulations Milestone Achievement Award Recipients!

On March 31, 2011, community leaders from the 21 Designated Virginia Main Street Communities met to celebrate achievements built over the course of their efforts.  The crowd of 95 gathered for the Milestone Achievement Awards luncheon and ceremony at Richmond’s historic Jefferson Hotel.

At the ceremony, Mary Rae Carter, Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade for Rural Development congratulated the communities and pointed out the visible results of their leadership. Next, DHCD Director Bill Shelton highlighted some of the cummulative outcomes across Virginia: this year’s net job gain of 663 jobs and the more than $275 million privately invested over the past five years.

The keynote speaker of this year’s luncheon was nationally recognized sustainable preservation expert Jean Carroon, FAIA, LEED AP. Ms. Carroon reminded the audience how important their work is in preserving their communities and protecting the planet. “People often forget that before we recycle, we can reduce consumption and reuse existing products,” she said. “A building is the one of the largest handmade objects we have. Reusing a building reduces our environmental impact in a way far greater than recycling an aluminum can.” 

Virginia Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade for Rural Development Mary Rae Carter presents Culpeper Renaissance Inc. Board Treasurer Elana Clements and Manager Jessica Brewer with the Special Recognition Award for the Be A Culpeper Local campaign.

Finally, Virginia Main Street presented the Milestone Achievement Awards. Fifteen communities received awards in categories such as building rehabilitation, private investment, and volunteer investment. A milestone for the entire group was the first $100 Million Award for Private Investment, earned by the Old Town Development Board and the City of Winchester. Culpeper Renaissance, Inc. received special recognition for their Be a Culpeper Local campaign. The full list of award recipients is available here.

Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients.

Classic settings for classic films

Community members working to revitalize their downtown often reminisce of Saturdays when residents poured into the streets. Frequently the movies are part of those recollections, and the black and white photos show it to be the case. People crowd the sidewalks, and on the marquee above them: Double Indemnity, Singing in the Rain, Some Like it Hot. 

These classic films are also listed on the  Library of Congress’s National Film Registry. Begun in 1989, the list grows by 25 titles each year, reaching 550 this month.  No matter what your film preference, you’ll find a favorite on the list: B films and musicals, mysteries and animated features, documentaries and melodramas.  One will be there that changed your view of the world. (For me it was Number 360: Paths of Glory.) Film still matters, and it still matters downtown.

In Culpeper, the 1938 art deco State Theatre is undergoing a $10 million dollar renovation. This Designated Virginia Main Street Community is teaming The State with another community asset: the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center at the nearby Packard Campus of  Library of Congress.  Already drawing film buffs from around the Mid-Atlantic, Culpeper is uniquely positioned to spotlight film as part of our shared downtown experience.

They are not alone: a number of Virginia’s traditional commercial districts still have active movie palaces, and many more have jewels with the potential for restoration and use as multi-function community facilities. But with so many home viewing options available to film lovers, the challenge is to engage movie-goers in a different way by hosting film festivals, special screenings, panel discussions, and showings for targeted audiences. 

Try partnering with a local film club or community college in developing programs. Introduce each screening and greet the audience. Use it to start a community discussion. The goal can’t just be to bring people downtown: use this resource as another opportunity to create community among those sitting together in the dark.

Virginia Main Street Downtown Improvement Grants at work

In the summer of 2010, Virginia Main Street (VMS) provided seven Downtown Improvement Grants (DIGs)  that allowed designated Main Street communities to undertake specific projects for which they did not otherwise have funding. The small grants, capped at $2,500, were awarded in a competitive process based on projected outcomes, committee and volunteeer leadership, and the capacity to successfully complete the planned project.

While Virginia Main Street will continue to monitor the projects throughout the spring for outcomes, two of the projects have already been recognized in local media outlets for their progress and impact in their communities.

In Culpeper, The Star-Exponent acknowledged the VMS Downtown Improvement Grant for making “Downtown’s New Look” possible. Read the article for a review of the community decision to use bright colors in the historic district. The paper also noted in a June 4, 2010 editorial that the bright colors of Culpeper Renaissance Initiative’s downtown banners, “can add a sparkle downtown.”

In Harrisonburg, two Daily News-Record articles, (“Enticing Massanutten Tourists,” and “Cuchi Guidos Closes in the City”) noted the importance of the VMS DIG grant in supporting Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance’s efforts to support and retain existing businesses. The strategic initiative developed tools to attract more Massanutten Resort guests to the dining, shopping, and cultural options of Downtown Harrisonburg. Products included a coupon book, dining and children’s storytelling tour development, and familiarization tours for front line hospitality staff from the surrounding area. 

We’ll post more results and more media coverage in the coming months. For information on the projects funded, read the  June 29 Virginia Main Street blog post.

Be a Culpeper Local

Culpeper, Virginia just received some good press after it unleashed its new shop local campaign, Be a Culpeper Local.  The campaign combines educating the nearly 50,000 Culpeper County residents on the value of buying locally with a website, beaculpeperlocal.com that directs visitors to local shopping and dining options, specials, and a way to track how much of your state sales tax is being returned to local Culpeper general funds and school coffers.

This fiscal year, 2010–11, the County general fund expects to receive $4.5 million (part of which is allocated to the Town), and the school expects to receive $6.4 million. All these millions are from us spending our dollars in Culpeper County!

It may not need saying, but this same math works for every community in Virginia, from Abingdon to Winchester and everyone in between.  This is but one of many ways to  jumpstart a shop local campaign.  If you need more reasons to value shopping local, you can visit this page.

For more information on shop local campaigns and the value of shopping local, peruse our training archives page, visit the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies website or get in contact with the Virginia Main Street staff.

Downtown leaders cover Main Street Essentials at Abingdon training

On Sep. 22 and 23, Advance Abingdon hosted 70 downtown revitalization professionals and volunteers from across Virginia for a training and knowledge share of best practices in the organization and promotion of downtown revitalization efforts.

National Trust Main Street Center Senior Program Officer Kathy LaPlante, a nationally recognized expert on community based downtown revitalization, presented specific strategies for organizing local efforts and promoting local businesses in downtown districts. “Communities across the country are working toward creating vibrant, one-of-a-kind downtown districts,” said LaPlante. “We develop and share best practices, such as how to effectively recruit and use volunteers, and how to fund revitalization efforts.”

Other more specific strategies discussed at the session promote the assets unique to each place. For instance a festival that draws people to a downtown in Virginia will be different from one in Wisconsin. “The overall guide to promoting your district,” said LaPlante, “is to be true in character to who you are as a community. No one size fits all.”

In addition to hearing from LaPlante, representatives of local governments, nonprofit organizations, and businesses shared the latest efforts of their home communities with others from around the commonwealth.

Sponsors for the event helped provide a warm welcome and included Michael’s Pharmacy, Mac’s Medical Equipment, Home Nursing Service of Southwest Virginia, Highlands Union Bank, The Office Place, and the Town of Abingdon. Participants took trolley tours, ate a dinner at the Farmer’s Market, attended a reception at A Tailor’s Lodging, and enjoyed lunch on the town.

Virginia Main Street trainings are open to anyone interested in downtown revitalization, and all PowerPoint presentations and notes from the group discussions are available at the Virginia Main Street training archive.

In season: Virginia’s farmers’ markets

Governor Bob McDonnell has proclaimed August 1 – 7 as Virginia Farmers’ Market Week, and there are plenty of reasons to celebrate.

Across the country, farmers’ markets are rising in popularity and number. Between 2008 and 2009, their number increased 13 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And in Virginia, you expect to find them in every vibrant downtown.

Jessica Brewer of Culpeper Renaissance, Inc. points to the farmers’ market in that community’s historic downtown as a gathering spot and an economic engine. 

“It really is the place to be seen on Saturday mornings. Because of the market,  the community’s restaurants, food-oriented retail stores, and our popular tasting events, the people hear Culpeper, and they’re starting to think quality, fresh food.”

What’s fresh in your community? The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services offers a handy chart to show what’s likely to be fresh at your  market, and they’re offering up some prizes for your picture of what’s happening locally. Enter the Farmers’ Market Photo Contest by August 18 and share pictures of your community coming togetherover the local harvest at your market.

Virginia Main Street Downtown Improvement Grants awarded

Seven designated Virginia Main Street (VMS) communities have been awarded VMS Downtown Improvement Grants in a special initiative marking the program’s 25th anniversary.

Successful proposals in the competitive process demonstrated: 

• Measurable impacts or deliverables;
• Committee or volunteer project leadership/involvement;
• Partnerships and resource leveraging;
• Local government involvement or support;
• Up-to-date program reporting; and
• The ability to complete the project using the $2,500 (plus leverage) by Dec. 2010.

The funded projects in alphabetical order are:

Culpeper:  A downtown banner project will carry forward the VMS-supported identity campaign and leverage donated design time, community volunteer hours, and an in-kind local government contribution. 

Harrisonburg:  A pilot tourism project will engage a collaborative team in the development, trial, and measurement of a concierge and resort-based educational and promotional campaign.

Martinsville:  A print and Web marketing campaign will promote Uptown Martinsville as a destination and include the development and production of a brochure and loyalty cards that shoppers will use to receive special discounts and offers at participating Uptown businesses.

Orange:  A landscaping project will expand a recently successful collaboration between the Orange Downtown Alliance, local garden clubs, and the Town of Orange into a district-wide effort, leveraging volunteer hours and contributions.

South Boston:  A participatory art and history project will engage a collaborative team in painting fire hydrants as part of the community’s strategic arts and heritage economic repositioning.

Staunton: A downtown banner project will extend an existing effort into a transitional, gateway portion of the district, leveraging an existing investment and increasing the engagement of a stakeholder group at the margins.

Winchester: A pedestrian oriented kiosk and signage will implement recommendations from an ongoing wayfinding planning process.

Congratulations to the successful communties, and good luck on the projects.

Video: Culpeper’s thriving foodshed

Downtown Culpeper’s focus on farm fresh food through the farmer’s market, destination restaurants, and special food themed events has contributed to the revitalization of the historic community. 

Watch “Meet the Farmer” host Michael Clark talk with community leaders involved in the new vitality of Culpeper.  The segment features Culpeper Renaissance, Inc. in a success story that builds on the area’s rich agricultural heritage. 

Virginia Main Street celebrity siting

U2 lead man Bono with downtown Culpeper locals.

The Star Exponent says it was Culpeper’s “cool and unassuming” nature that drew a rock  icon to town last week.  And there’s probably something to that. 

The town’s Main Street effort, led by Culpeper Renaissance, Inc., has done much to foster the  town as an epicurean destination. A vibrant farmer’s market, gourmet food and wine shops, and fine dining options in a comfortable and friendly setting have built the town a reputation that just might have lured Bono of the Irish band U2 for lunch at the Hazel River Inn. 

Thanks to Jessica Brewer for sending in the picture. Forward your downtown celebrity sightings to douglas.jackson@dhcd.virginia.gov.