Category Archives: Other Downtown

Small Business Survey

Small business owners: We want to hear from you! Main Street America‘s Spring 2023 Small Business Survey focuses on the hardships and opportunities you and your business are facing. Your responses are valuable to us as we work to improve our advocacy and programming efforts with the aim of strengthening the economic vitality of your Main Street. Please click here to complete this short, 10-minute survey by March 22.

Downtown Advocates Gather in Austin

HometownMinnesota.jpgDowntown advocates from southeastern Minnesota gathered in Austin yesterday.

Their purpose was to share ideas for strengthening our downtowns and working together to return the Main Street Program to Minnesota. Eighteen people from eight different communities reviewed the Four Point Approach, offered lessons learned from their own experiences, and brain-stormed additional tactics for familiar challenges.

The Main Street Program was created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1977. In Minnesota, the program was originally supported by DTED but was phased out in 1994. Minnesota is one of only four states that do not have a state-supported Main Street Program. Continue reading Downtown Advocates Gather in Austin

Minnesotans Work to Restore State Main Street Program

MainStreetSteeringCommittee.jpgEarlier this year I was invited to join the Minnesota Main Street Steering Committee. With my board’s approval, I have begun to attend the monthly meetings.

As some of you know, the Main Street Program was started by the National Trust for Historic Preservation back in 1977. The program emphasizes Four Points: Organizing, Promoting, Designing, and Restructuring. The NDDC has followed this approach from its founding in 1999. Continue reading Minnesotans Work to Restore State Main Street Program