2012 Downtown Improvement Grants Awarded

This past February, Virginia Main Street awarded seven Downtown Improvement Grants ranging from $6,000 to $25,000. The grants are intended to help local Main Street organizations implement economic restructuring strategies that will have measureable local and regional economic benefits, establish and strengthen partnerships in the community and increase the capacity and involvement of local Main Street committees and volunteers. The funded organizations included:

• Advance Abingdon, which will improve a public park to help anchor the western end of the Main Street district and encourage private investment in this part of the district.
• Altavista on Track, which will renovate the upper stories of the building currently housing the Altavista Arts and Antiques incubator to allow for additional vendors.
• Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, which will complete façade improvements on the former McCory’s Department Store as part of a larger restoration project that will establish a Main Street “mini-mall” for small retail, food and professional tenants.
• Luray Downtown Initiative, Inc., which will complete permanent gateway improvements at the Main Street district’s most heavily-trafficked entrance.   
• Marion Downtown Revitalization Association, which will launch the Virginia Main Street community’s first pop-up program by providing three new small businesses in the Main Street district with business training and grant funding to help defray start-up costs.
• Staunton Downtown Development Association, which will upgrade outdoor lighting fixtures to help better connect the thriving downtown commercial district to the “Wharf District.”
• Waynesboro Downtown Development, Inc., which will construct the Center for Coldwater Restoration demonstration hatchery and information center in the Main Street district to help develop the community’s potential as an outdoor recreation and tourism destination.

Downtown Improvement Grants are just one of the many forms of support that Virginia Main Street offers the state’s 25 designated Main Street communities.

Downtown Improvement Grants Awarded

Five Designated Virginia Main Street (VMS) Communities have been awarded 2011 Downtown Improvment Grants.  This year, VMS communities served by CSX Transportation rail lines were eligible for a match of up to $5,000 from the corporation, pushing the awards from $2,500 to a total of $7,500. 

Waynesboro and Winchester will receive CSX Transportation VMS Downtown Improvement Grants. Communities receiving VMS Downtown Improvement Grants are Berryville, Blackstone and Marion. The discrete projects must be completed by December of this year and were selected due to their capacity for impact, the level of volunteer involvement and the degree to which they leverage additional resources.  The following projects were selected from among the 17 submitted:

Waynesboro:  A downtown riverside observation deck along a key section of the South River will strengthen the connection between the community, the district, regional outdoor recreation and quality of life strategies. Several river access facilities and greenway trail resources intersect at the site.  ($7,500)

Winchester:  A flexible staging platform will be developed and purchased as part of a coordinated events strategy for Old Town Winchester. The professional staging system will create an enhanced audience experience at community events and performances.  ($7,500)

Berryville:  A downtown design improvements project furthers recommendations by the Virginia Main Street architect to engage property owners in simple district improvements. Grant products will include planters, a door improvement contest and a wayfinding kiosk. ($2,500)

Blackstone:  A historical markers project engages property owners, local historians and the Town in identifying and communicating the stories of the historical assets that shape this historic commercial district. ($2,500)

Marion:  A largely volunteer based “Big Surprise” façade improvement program will dramatically improve the appearances of three buildings, two of which are owned by local nonprofits. In a quick burst of activity, old facades will be removed, with basic improvements begun over the weekend.  ($2,500)

Main Street Communities Bring History to Life

From the first American colonies to the modern college town, many Virginia communities have a rich history to share. Two VMS communities have recently been recognized for transforming aspects of their pasts into valuable assets for their downtown neighborhoods.

Berryville Main Street has received the Virginia Downtown Development Association’s 2010 Building Development and Improvements Award of Merit  for its Fire House Gallery & Shop. The gallery, which opened on January 8, is housed in a restored 1930’s firehouse. While the primary focus of the gallery is artwork, it also contains a “Resource Room” to inform visitors about the Berryville Historic District.

In addition to preserving a historic building, the Fire House Gallery has already generated $20,000 in sales and created three new jobs. Over 400 people have purchased from the gallery, and it is a major draw to the Berryville Historic District for residents and visitors alike.

Harrisonburg is taking a different approach to sharing its history with the community. The city recently dedicated three new Civil War Trails markers downtown. The markers stand at the former sites of Harrisonburg’s Confederate General Hospital, Hill’s Hotel, and the Soldiers’ Cemetery at Woodbine. Adding these new Civil War Trails markers will inform the community and visitors of the stories of life in Harrisonburg during the Civil War. The markers were funded through a grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission.

Want to stay up-to-date on historic preservation efforts in Virginia? The Department of Historic Resources distributes a weekly newsletter that deal with preservation, history, architecture, archaeology, planning issues, museums, conservation and other related topics in Virginia and elsewhere. To sign up, please contact Randy Jones.

Vote for the top 25 Virginia Main Street “Downtown Dining Destinations”

The Virginia Main Street staff does a lot of travelling each year and that travel can be hard on the stomach.  Luckily, we know that when we arrive, the local hospitality of our destination Main Street communities will be evident, and the top rate dining choices will be numerous.

While having an office day, we started talking about our can’t miss restaurants throughout Virginia.  Jeff claims his is for “his pregnant wife” but we know that’s not the real reason he often takes the long way home just to stop in and pick up some treats from Knakal’s Bakery in Culpeper.  Resident foodie Kyle chows down on the local ingredients at The Mockingbird Cafe in Staunton. 

Meanwhile, Doug, the expert on the menu choices in Southwest Virginia refuses to take a stand on whether he prefers Radford’s new River City Grill or trusted standby’s like Marion’s Black Rooster and Rocky Mount’s Edible Vibe Cafe.

Somedays, the palate is piqued by something different and there are always new offerings to try in our bustling downtowns.  There are fine dining choices and local dives with character.  Prices vary greatly, but the value and experience rarely does.  We are lucky souls indeed to have jobs that basically force us to visit the best restaurants Virginia has to offer. 

However, in honor of Virginia Main Street’s 25th Anniversay, we had to limit our selections to the 25 spots we find ourselves heading back to time and again.

Tell us which you like best.

Putting events to work for your downtown district

Why do you do it?

That festival takes months of planning. The parade risks being rained out. There are suddenly four previously un-calendared community events on the same weekend as the chili cook-off; the band shows up late; and the vendors haven’t brought enough change.

Events can be a real headache. But you still put them on. Why? In the Summer 2010 edition of the Virginia Main Street Monitor, we dare you to ask yourself that question.  Why?  We’ll also help you answer it.

The technical brief features tips, strategies, and examples from Virginia Main Street communities.  Download it today and share it with your board and promotions committee members.

Marion’s revitalization path highlighted by municipal league

This month, the Virginia Municipal Leagues’ magazine, Virginia Town and City, features a cover story on the revitalization of Downtown Marion.

The subhead reads: “Downtown success story wasn’t written overnight,” and the article, by Marion Downtown Revitalization Association Executive Director Ken Heath, stresses the deliberate, step-by-step approach the community has taken to bring visitors downtown to shop and engage in Marion’s rich cultural heritage.  (It’s home to both Mountain Dew and the Mayan Revival Lincoln Theater.)

We won’t spoil the article for you; read it and the rest of the issue online.

Tourism magnets on Virginia’s Main Streets

It’s no newsflash for Main Street communities that cultural heritage and history-based tourism can bring meaningful revenue downtown. Here are a few examples of strategic investments and attractions affecting Main Street communities. They’re gathered by our friends at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR). To sign up for DHR’s news clips, contact: Randy Jones.

Tourism and Rail in Lynchburg: When city and state officials worked toward getting a second Amtrak train from Lynchburg to Washington, D.C. the idea was to get travelers to Washington. But there are also things to see and do in Lynchburg. And the city’s tourism officials are working on making the Hill City a destination for those getting on the train in Washington. In April, the region will participate in a Virginia Tourism Corporation advertising blitz in D.C. metro stations. To learn more, read the article in the News and Advance.

Natural History in Martinsville: Visitors to the Virginia Museum of Natural History can examine and compare different specimens of dinosaurs, as several large skeleton casts of dinosaurs will be on display in the new exhibit: Messages from the Mesozoic, including a 40-foot-long Acrocanthosaurus and a 12-foot-long feathered Deinonychus, both of which date back more than 100 million years. The dinosaurs on display are believed to have roamed in Virginia and other places. The only pieces of evidence of dinosaurs in Virginia found so far are footprints, or other trace fossils. For more information, read the Martinsville Bulletin article.

Frontier Heritage in Smyth County: The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded a $17,500 for the Settlers Museum in Smyth County. The museum plans to undertake development of a master strategic plan, including a physical assessment of its historic farm structures to prioritize critical structural repairs, development of concepts for additional programming, and an agricultural tourism feasibility study. The museum’s 67 acres feature a restored 19th-century living history farm complete with farmhouse and eight original outbuildings, plus the restored 1894 one-room Lindamood school. For more information read the article in Southwest Virginia Today.