Virginia Main Street

Strawberry Street Plaza has been part of Cape Charles’ downtown story for nearly a decade. Created in 2017, the open-air plaza sits at the center of town with a clear viewshed to the Cape Charles Harbor and direct connections to Mason Avenue’s shops and restaurants. From the start, it was envisioned as a public gathering … More Strawberry Street Plaza: From Smart Planning to a Thriving Economic Asset

It’s the start of a new year, and many of us engage in the annual ritual of setting New Year’s resolutions: read more, work out more, eat healthy, and the list of achievable (and sometimes not-so-achievable) goals goes on. According to a 2023 Forbes Health poll, most people tend to give up or flat out … More New Year, New Work Plan

Harrisonburg is grappling with a challenge familiar to many Main Street districts: how to accommodate growth and density, while protecting the historic character that defines downtown. As an Advancing Virginia Main Street (AVMS) community, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance (HDR) recently leveraged Virginia Main Street (VMS) design services to proactively address this tension through board education and … More Designing for Growth in Harrisonburg

An unexpected byproduct of preservation-based economic development is the discovery of a community’s history. While the primary goal is to ensure a building is being used to its fullest potential, the process often yields stories waiting to be told. In Buena Vista’s Main Street district, sits a vacant building at 141 & 149 West 21st … More Uncovering Buena Vista’s History Through Preservation-Based Economic Development

In late 2023, Downtown Blackstone, Inc. (DBI) was awarded a $75,000 Virginia Main Street (VMS) Downtown Investment Grant (DIG) to support major improvements to Blackstone’s Town Square, located in the heart of downtown. Over the past several years, DBI, working in close partnership with the Town of Blackstone, has transformed the square into a more … More Designing for Community: Activating Blackstone’s Town Square

The Town of Mount Jackson is making bold moves to reinvigorate its downtown district through the expansion of its entrepreneurial initiative, the Mount Jackson 5 (MJ5) program. In 2024, the town received $50,000 from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Community Business Launch (CBL) grant to launch MJ5. The CBL program is designed … More Mount Jackson 5 Completes Second Year, Bringing Seven Businesses to Town

Public art has a special way of telling a community’s story—and in Onancock, that story just became even more vibrant. Thanks to a powerful mix of leveraged private investment and support from a Virginia Main Street Downtown Investment Grant, Onancock Main Street (OMS) brought Project Uplift to life, adding three new public art pieces to … More Project Uplift: Public Art Strengthens Downtown Onancock

Strong, engaged boards are essential to every Main Street organization. Board members provide governance and strategic oversight, while also carrying the fiduciary responsibility to ensure resources are used wisely and transparently. Experience Old Town Warrenton’s (EOTW) board recently deepened their fundraising skills through consultant-led training with The Spark Mill, supported by a Virginia Main Street … More Reinforcing & Reimagining Fundraising in Warrenton

This year, Marion reached the extraordinary milestone of 30 years as a designated Virginia Main Street community! The Marion Downtown Revitalization Association (MDRA) marked the occasion with an evening of celebration, reflection, and vision for the future, honoring decades of local leadership, economic revitalization, and community pride. The anniversary celebration brought together partners, supporters, and … More Marion Celebrates 30 Years of Main Street

The holidays are right around the corner, and one of the best gifts you can give to your community is keeping dollars local. When you’re not quite sure what to buy someone, a gift certificate to their favorite store is always a great option, or if you don’t know their favorite shop, perhaps their favorite … More Gift Certificates: A Gift That Gives Back to Main Street