The Steps That Successful Main Street Programs in Missouri Take to Foster Vibrancy and Growth
December 30, 2024 | Ben White
In Missouri and nationwide, historic commercial districts that successfully foster vibrancy are placing an emphasis on building up the foundation of their Main Street program through intentional volunteer, leadership, fundraising, action plans, and partnership development. These steps are both current and long-term trends. Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC) provides services and trainings, including the Community Empowerment Grant, to historic commercial districts across the state that are rooted in the time-tested principles of the Main Street Approach™ and are informed by these trends, the needs of each community receiving the service grant, and the ever-changing economic landscape.
As 2024 comes to an end, 18 historic commercial districts received services and training this year through the Community Empowerment Grant including Aurora, Auxvasse, Union, and West Plains. Each service and training administered by MMSC’s staff is a step forward in the two-year timeline to creating a sustainable Main Street program with strong local leaders as its foundation. The 18 historic commercial districts that have received Community Empowerment Grant services are each in different places following being awarded the service grant.
Aurora
In Southwest Missouri, community stakeholders continue to build a strong foundation for their Main Street organization, Aurora Downtown Project. The Aurora Downtown Project received the Transformation Strategy “Multi-Generational” from Missouri Main Street Connection. This strategy is based on community survey input, market data, and conversations in the community during their Town Hall and other touchpoints over the past year. During the Town Hall, they established a goal to involve the school in downtown development, so the organization started to work towards partnering with the school district through efforts like Downtown Clean-up days and other efforts planned for 2025. Developing intentional partnerships, based on goals and feedback through the Community Empowerment Grant program, has been high on the list of the Main Street organization.
Auxvasse
In Central Missouri, community stakeholders have started building a strong foundation for their Main Street organization by electing its first board of directors. This leadership development started back at their Town Hall, a gathering of community members to voice their opinions on the future of downtown. From this meeting, community members were inspired to serve on the board of directors and lead the downtown revitalization efforts in downtown Auxvasse.
Union
West of St. Louis, a developing partnership between the City of Union and ReDiscover Union has started building a strong foundation for a Main Street organization. Through this hand-in-hand partnership with the City of Union, ReDiscover Union is establishing downtown revitalization goals based on community feedback. Partnerships with local municipalities are essential to effective downtown development as the Main Street movement is built on a strong public and private partnership. The work created through the Community Empowerment Grant program has helped focus and define what this partnership looks like moving forward.
West Plains
In Southern Missouri, community stakeholders are creating implementable action plans for their Main Street organization, West Plains Downtown Revitalization, following action plan development training conducted by Missouri Main Street Connection. The development of action plans using the community’s vision is a vital step for Main Street organizations in identifying partners, volunteers, and funding sources. Once created, West Plains Downtown Revitalization and community partners implement the community’s vision for a vibrant West Plains.
On top of the local steps historic commercial districts are taking through the Community Empowerment Grant, MMSC is beginning to implement its new strategic plan that includes more capacity building educational opportunities, specifically for organizations in the Community Empowerment Grant program and in the Affiliate Tier. These opportunities begin in 2025 with trainings, Zoom meetings, and Zoom webinars that dive into building up the foundation of their Main Street program through intentional volunteer, leadership, fundraising, action plans, and partnership development.
The Zoom webinars will be a series of six 1-hour webinars featuring Main Street speakers from across the nation who have extensive knowledge in the Main Street Approach™. These webinars will focus on time-tested topics, including capacity building, that have been utilized in successful Main Street organizations since the inception of Main Street 45 years ago.
If your community is looking to become involved in downtown revitalization efforts, take the first step by contacting MMSC’s Senior Program Specialist Ben White or attending MMSC’s Community Empowerment Grant (CEG) Workshop. The first CEG workshop for 2025 is on February 5 in Jefferson City. This workshop will cover the Main Street principles, give Missouri-based examples on how this methodology has been utilized, and will dive into the Community Empowerment Grant itself and the services provided. The Community Empowerment Service Grant is a service grant focused on the development of a strong Main Street board that involves the community in the implementation of downtown development and to build and support local leaders.
To sign up for this workshop, click on this link: https://momainstreet.org/events/ceg-workshop-2025-round-one/. Don’t wait to become more involved with a growing network of professionals and volunteers.
