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Missouri Main Street Connection Spends the Day Sharing Revitalization Successes with Missouri Legislators

January 31, 2024 | Logan Breer

Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC) visited the Missouri state capital, Jefferson City, on January 23rd with local Main Street program executive directors, board members, and city officials for the annual “Power of Main Street” day.  Despite the wintery weather, 2024 was another successful year of sharing the impact Main Street is having in communities of all sizes with legislators across Missouri.  

Pictured Above: Missouri Main Street Connection, Delmar Main Street, and Senator Karla May.

From early meetings and floor introduction to handing out informational pieces on the effectiveness of Main Street, community leaders from across the state were busy at the Capitol. While passing out the informational pieces and during their meetings, these community leaders spent time with their state legislators talking about what is happening in their legislative district as their local Main Street program revitalizes their historic commercial district through the Main Street Approach™. 

Pictured Above: Missouri Main Street Connection, Warrensburg Main Street, and Representative Dan Houx.

Just like last year, this is an important time of educational advocacy for more than 50 Main Street programs in Missouri as it helps legislators understand the impact these programs have at the local level with business and job recruitment and retention, private and public investment, and the small business support and economic growth they provide to their community.

Pictured Above: Missouri Main Street Connection, Main Street Trenton, Representative Mazzie Christensen.

There were many communities who brought their local energy with them to the state capital bringing a car full of people. Trenton Main Street was among those who had a car full as they had four people in their group. Each of their group members was involved in some way downtown and Main Street. As they spoke with their legislator, Representative Mazzie Christensen, it was clear that Trenton Main Street is a collaborative powerhouse for the betterment of Trenton, MO. With both local and regional organizations as well as elected officials, they work to ensure that Trenton’s historic district has a good business mix of service, restaurant, and retail businesses. Working on a local community’s business mix is a vital economic vitality responsibility to keep buildings occupied with the right businesses that will preserve the buildings and promote a thriving downtown. They highlighted their partnership with the local VFW who is currently downtown and is committed to staying downtown. They are working to preserve their building as well as update it for the 21st century to provide telehealth services to veterans like counseling and many more options.

Pictured Above: Missouri Main Street Connection, Downtown Joplin Alliance, and Representative Lane Roberts.

This year was also a special year for MMSC and Missouri’s Accredited Main Street programs. The Main Street Accredited Signage Program was inaugurated as the local programs who were present shared the special news with their legislators. This program is through Missouri Main Street Connection’s partnership with MODOT to allow nationally and state accredited Main Street Programs designated signage at the entrance to their district. See our press release to learn more about this exciting partnership and program (Read our Press Release).

The Downtown Joplin Alliance (DJA) was one of many Accredited Main Street programs present at this year’s Capitol Day. They had the honor of sharing the news about the signage program with their legislators. During their visit with Representative Lane Roberts, Lori Haun, DJA Executive Director, reminisced on the amazing things that have been happening in Downtown Joplin and the entire community. Representative Lane Roberts is tuned into what happens in his district and shared that he credits the strong success of Downtown Joplin to DJA. It is through their collaboration with community partners that they support small businesses in securing brick and mortar locations, preserving historical assets—like the Oliva Building and the Depot—through adaptive reuse, and much more. Joplin is growing stronger each year and the momentum that downtown is producing is spreading out into the other areas. One day maybe Joplin will be home to several Main Street districts that champion the many different nooks within its city limits.

Pictured Above: Missouri Main Street Connection, Brookfield Main Street, Main Street Trenton, and Senator Rusty Black.

We are always looking to expand our reach. It is very encouraging that Senator Rusty Black is eager for the communities he represents to thrive again. Not a year goes by that he doesn’t ask us if any of his communities have become new Main Streets. We were able to share with him during our meetings that Mound City, Stanberry, and Gallatin are recent additions to our tier list through the Community Empowerment Grant program. Additionally, Brookfield, Trenton, and Chillicothe shared the successes they have had over this past year in their respective communities.

We thank each of our legislators for their hard work at supporting MMSC and our local Main Street programs. We are fortunate for our partnership with the State of Missouri to invest in local communities and support their efforts to create thriving, vibrant communities that people want to live, shop, and work in.

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