Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

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We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.

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Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

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Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.

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Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

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Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!

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Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

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Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

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Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

About

We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.

Overview Who We Are How We Work Partner Collaborations Our Supporters Our Team Job Opportunities Contact Us
Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Our Network

Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.

Overview Coordinating Programs Main Street Communities Collective Impact Awards & Recognition Community Evaluation Framework Join the Movement
Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Resources

Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!

Overview Knowledge Hub Field Services Government Relations Main Street Now Conference Main Street America Institute Small Business Support Allied Member Services The Point Members Area
People riding e-scooters in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

The Latest

Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

Overview News & Stories Events & Opportunities Subscribe
Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Get Involved

Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

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October 30, 2020 | Announcing the 2020 Great American Main Street Award Winners |


The National Main Street Center announced Boyne City Main Street in Boyne City Michigan; Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association in Tupelo, Mississippi; and Kendall Whittier Main Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma as the 2020 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners. GAMSA is the nation’s top award for communities that have excelled in comprehensive preservation-based downtown revitalization. The winners were announced at the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s virtual PastForward Conference.

"This year's GAMSA winners demonstrate the power of our commercial district revitalization approach to transform communities and turn around local economies," said National Main Street Center (NMSC) President and CEO Patrice Frey. "While these winning programs hail from small towns and larger cities, they have all brought vibrancy to their downtowns through inclusive community engagement, dedicated small business support, and innovative partnerships. I know their stories will serve as an inspiration to Main Streets across the country as they work to respond to the impacts of the pandemic.”

Boyne City Main Street: Boyne City, Michigan

Located along Lake Charlevoix and the Boyne River in Northern Michigan, Boyne City has harnessed its picturesque waterfront location to become a hub for year-round outdoor recreation. The Main Street program has both enhanced access to natural resources and improved the sense of place downtown, thanks to a streetscape redevelopment project, developing a boardwalk and marina, adding public art, and implementing a façade grant program. A strong roster of events, from outdoor music to food festivals, along with a dedicated volunteer base, has also brought vitality back to downtown. 

The Boyne City Main Street program has been a catalyst for economic development. Since the Main Street program got its start, the downtown has seen 91 net new businesses and has a vacancy rate of just 1 percent, down from 5 percent in 2003. Throughout the pandemic, Boyne City Main Street has ramped up their small business support, with a focus on connecting business owners to funding opportunities, helping them get online, and connecting merchants with resources to safely reopen. The Main Street program has also deeply invested in its residents. As its downtown grew, Boyne City Main Street has worked with public and private partners to expand workforce housing. 

Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association: Tupelo, Mississippi

Downtown Tupelo has built on its legacy as the home of Elvis Presley and transformed its Main Street from a buttoned-up corridor that shut down after 5 p.m. to a bustling district with live music, art galleries, and farm-to-table restaurants thriving alongside legacy businesses. When the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association (DTMSA) got its start in 1990, the downtown’s vacancy rate was 13 percent. Thanks to DTMSA’s supportive entrepreneurship environment, vacancy is just four percent today. DTMSA has continued to offer support to small business owners during the pandemic. The program launched a dedicated website to support local merchants and provide one-on-one assistance with services like e-commerce support, social media training, and web development. 

DTMSA has leveraged public and private partnerships to drive investment and development downtown, including converting a vacant former fairgrounds site into a vibrant mixed-use district that doubled the size of downtown. Fairpark is now home to a visitor center, arena, museum, restaurants, convention center, and hotel. DTMSA continued to change the face of downtown by connecting Fairpark with the original downtown core and the Elvis Presley Birthplace through a major streetscape project. DTMSA has spearheaded a range of inclusive community events that has made Tupelo the center of community activity.

Kendall Whittier Main Street: Tulsa, Oklahoma

In just 10 years, Tulsa’s Kendall Whittier District has transformed from an area of decades-long blight into a thriving neighborhood with a mix of galleries, breweries, restaurants, and non-mainstream retail. When Kendall Whittier Main Street (KWMS) got its start in 2010, the area had a 35 percent occupancy rate and was known as Tulsa’s red-light district– home to vacant storefronts and adult-oriented businesses. Thanks to community-led business recruitment and retention efforts, occupancy has grown to 100 percent today. In all, KWMS has seen a total of 350 jobs created and $158 million private dollars reinvested. Even after COVID-19 forced many businesses to temporarily shut their doors, no businesses in the district have permanently shuttered due to the pandemic. KWMS credits a Rent Relief Program with making all the difference. 

With people-centered transportation projects, affordable housing initiatives, and more than 20 annual events that reflect the diversity of the community, Kendall Whittier has seen progress without marginalization. From art walks and outdoor concerts to yoga and food truck festivals, KWMS aims to offer free or low-cost programming that appeals to everyone in the community. Kendall Whittier’s revitalization has been so successful that it has become a model for other Tulsa neighborhoods and sparked a citywide Main Street program.

Learn more about each 2020 GAMSA winner here:

BOYNE CITY MAIN STREET

DOWNTOWN TUPELO MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION

KENDALL WHITTIER MAIN STREET