Missouri's Premier Downtown
Revitalization Conference
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Missouri's Premier Revitalization Conference will feature three days of virtual activities including 14 breakout sessions and two keynote addresses as well as special lunch and happy hour sessions.
Join us at Missouri’s Premier Downtown Revitalization Conference to Celebrate New Beginnings! During the past year of uncertainty and unrest, more than ever we understand the significance of celebrating the places we love. While we are mindful of the hardships so many have endured, we have learned to adapt and grow through this pandemic.
Join us as we all Celebrate New Beginnings! We more fully understand the necessity of community preservation, while celebrating the very places we live, work, and play, as we unite the people in our communities and districts.
The early registration deadline is July 1, 2021. Don't delay!
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- Demystifying Arts & Culture Language For Funding
- Driving Visitation To Missouri
- Looking At Money From All Angles To Develop A Solid Funding Structure
- I Bought This Building, Now What Do I do With It?
- Storytelling For Small Business Owners And Community Engagement
- Doctor Is In
- Organizational Rebound: Better Recruitment Equals Better Boards
- How Age-Friendly Is Your Community?
- So We Have Design Guidelines... Now What? New Infill Buildings In Historic Downtowns
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More Listed Here!
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MMSC Selected For Main Street Forward Award |
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Missouri Main Street Connection is one of six winners of the Main Street Forward Award, which recognizes communities that have shown exemplary recovery and resilience efforts amid the multiple crises of 2020. Selected by a national jury of economic development experts, MMSC is being recognized for its Four Ways to Connect programming, which helped support the state’s local Main Street programs via regular communication throughout the pandemic. |
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Missouri Main Street Connection has been excited to offer the Downtown Strong: Building Resilient Economies Grant, an over $700,000 investment through a partnership between Missouri Main Street Connection and the Economic Development Administration. This grant has been available to Missouri Main Street communities and businesses in good standing with MMSC and the State of Missouri.
For businesses, MMSC is able to offer a wide variety of services to recover from the pandemic and build stronger businesses for the future, including: business evaluation, a new or revised business plan, a comprehensive marketing and advertising plan, website development focused on increasing sales, and so much more. Main Street organizations also had an opportunity to apply for services to not only strengthen their organization, but the business climate downtown, including: a building and business inventory, partnership agreements with area partners, a business recruitment/retention plan, a district-wide marketing plan, and more to strengthen the downtown economy.
Missouri Main Street Connection has awarded 86 businesses and organizations with grants for services in many of these important areas. With businesses and organizations able to apply for either two, four, or six services, depending on where in the Tier structure they are, over 250 services will be provided by MMSC and contracted consultants.
Right now, the Downtown Strong committee is finishing the scoring of the consultants that submitted a Request for Qualifications for the different services that can be provided through this grant. This is important work to pair the right consultants with the services requested by businesses and organizations. MMSC is also calling each business and organization that were awarded a grant in order to make sure that the services requested are the services that will be provided by MMSC and the chosen consultants.
Very soon, we will be out in the field to provide these tangible plans and services. We are very excited to provide these services to the organizations who provide so much to their downtown community and to the businesses that call downtown, home. If funding allows, we will have a second grant round in the fall.
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Missouri Main Street
Bicentennial Passport
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The Missouri Bicentennial is a time to celebrate the rich heritage and culture of this great state and explore Missouri’s historic districts and downtowns. During Independence Day weekend you can hear live music, go on carnival rides, eat at food trucks, support local communities at pancake breakfasts, celebrate with community parades, and enjoy Missouri’s holiday firework shows.
Get your passport stamped at each event. Those with twenty-one or more stamps collected will be eligible for a drawing with some great prizes. Prizes include a private tour of the Governor’s Mansion, gift baskets of Missouri made items, Tin Pan Cinnamon Rolls, and a framed print by Gary Lucy, among other prizes. Additional details can be found at MoMainStreet.org/Bicentennial.
We encourage you to post photos and videos on social media of your Missouri Bicentennial adventures with #Missouri2021. Select photos will be featured on Missouri Main Street Connection’s website, social media, and other promotional materials.
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Bicentennial Passport Sponsor:
MarksNelson, LLC.
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Bicentennial Time Capsule |
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Missouri organizations, institutions, businesses and government agencies are invited to contribute three items to the Bicentennial Time Capsule: one to represent the organization's past; one item to represent the organization's present; and a note to future Missourians. Contributions will be accepted through August 10, 2021, and sealed on August 27 for the next 25 years when it will be re-opened and shared with the public. The time capsule is sponsored by the State Historical Society of Missouri and Saint Louis Ambassadors.
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MMSC Presents Main Street Summit |
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Main Street Summit is a chance for communities to expand their Main Street knowledge and learn how to advance their programs with the benefits of the Main Street Approach™. Norma Ramírez de Miess from Main Street America presented to the above communities June, 2021. The communities that attended were Jefferson City, Vienna, Lebanon, and Marshfield.
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Clinton Main Street
Completes Resiliency Grant Project
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Missouri Main Street Connection Inc. (MMSC) in partnership with AARP Missouri, is excited to announce the completed project from Clinton Main Street as part of the AARP Community Resiliency Project. AARP Missouri invested in projects that inspire change and improve communities for all ages. Clinton Main Street was awarded $5,000 to make their resiliency project a reality. It is important for communities to activate spaces in new ways to meet the changing business climate as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This grant was specifically designed to be implemented for the betterment of a downtown area by including community input and implementation while celebrating and encouraging inclusivity.
The Clinton Main Street JC Smith Park Community Project proposed improvements to the current JC Smith Park to become more useful to the community and local businesses while making it more spatially ideal for social distancing. JC Smith Park is a largely concrete area with benches, tables, and a swing which is fenced in on all sides with two entry gates. Having asked visitors what improvements they would like to see in the space, they identified shade and improved access as the two biggest issues. To address these issues and make the area more useful to the community and businesses, Clinton Main Street covered the area in large shade screens over the tables and seating. Clinton Main Street was able to take down sections of the fence and replace them with low planters that allow people to easily access the park and added additional lighting for evening events. A sanitizing station completed the project allowing visitors around the Square a space where they can rest and sanitize. This project had over 115 volunteer hours.
When asked if the project had an impact in downtown Clinton, Tina Williams, Clinton Main Street Executive Director said, “It was how we envisioned the space! Already we are seeing an uptick in people using the park and feeling it is a welcoming space. We anticipate seeing its full effect next month with our Olde Glory Days celebration when space for the public will be at a premium.”
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Community Empowerment Grant
Workshop Opportunity
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August 18, 2021 | 10:00AM - 1:00PM |
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What could a 60/40 matching grant do for your historic commercial district? Any Missouri community interested in assistance to establish a Main Street organization or downtown revitalization program should attend this workshop. Only 7 grant awards will be available in 2021. Don't let this opportunity pass you by. All potential applicants must attend one Community Empowerment Grant Workshop. The grant workshop will explain the Main Street philosophy of revitalization and demonstrate the grant application criteria, materials, and process.
This workshop is FREE, but RSVP is required. All materials will be emailed to attendees prior to the webinar beginning. You are able to view on a tablet, computer, smartphone, or dial in on your phone to listen to the conversation if your internet access is limited.
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St. Louis Main Streets Pilot Programs |
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This year has been a busy one for the pilot Main Street programs in St. Louis, now called St. Louis Main Streets. With the pandemic starting to wane, the Missouri Main Street staff has been busy working in the districts with consultants. Currently there are two confirmed Main Street districts in St. Louis with a third to be announced very soon. Read more about the pilot districts here.
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Missouri Main Street Connection Design Services |
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Missouri Main Street Connection offers design assistance and renderings for streetscape and amenity planning that can assist communities in developing features that capture the feeling of connectivity associated with the outdoors and open spaces. Now is the time for these interim spaces to take on a new light with the help of our consultants in designing pocket parks, greenspaces, or alley activation that provides a long-term home for these temporary amenities to provide casual, shade, seating, tables, and dining spaces through movable seating, play objects, tables, games, lighting, and activities. |
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Missouri Main Street Connection is happy to announce a new online training series to teach the Main Street Approach™ to new board members, volunteers, staff, and city officials. The online training is free of charge for any community in Missouri. The Main Street 101 online training series was developed to fill the gap created by the cancellation of the National and Missouri Main Street conferences in 2020. The knowledge base of a Main Street program and its volunteers must include the principles of the comprehensive Main Street Approach™ to ensure a solid foundation. We encourage Main Street programs to use this online tool for volunteer development, committee training, and leadership development.
This training series will be required for all new board members within six months of taking office and new executive directors in 2021. The requirement also includes the completion and passing grade from a 50-question exam to receive a certificate of completion as part of the annual program assessment process. All Missouri Main Street programs under a contract/agreement with MMSC will fall under this requirement and there is a $50 fee for the certificate of completion portion.
The online training series provides flexibility for those going through the training. It will be available 24-hours a day, seven days a week and can be taken at the individuals’ pace. Each module of the four points is approximately 40-45 minutes long. There is also a module on the Main Street transformation strategy development process. The training series includes various resources or guides to help a Main Street program with further committee development.
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This project has been funded in part by a grant from the Kemper Fund for Kansas and Missouri of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, USDA Rural Development, and Karen Bode Baxter. |
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We want to thank these partners for their investment in Missouri Main Street for the month of June |
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Crocker Preservation and Restoration Alliance
Main Street Parkville Association
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Your donation can be made monthly or annually in whatever amount you choose. Please choose the frequency of your donation to MMSC today by clicking on one of the buttons below. You will receive a lapel pin designed exclusively for Heritage Circle members indicating your support for Missouri communities.
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Select Frequency Of Donation |
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YOUR DONATION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE. Missouri Main Street Connection is a statewide, 501c3, not-for-profit organization and is the leading statewide nonprofit organization devoted to preservation-based economic development. Through the Main Street America® movement and our partners, we empower community revitalization by celebrating, supporting, and sustaining Missouri historic commercial districts in both rural and urban settings. |
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Missouri Main Street Connection is a statewide, 501c3, not-for-profit organization committed to fostering renewed vitality and sustainability in historic commercial districts across the state of Missouri.
Missouri Main Street Connection is an equal opportunity organization.
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