Join us for Main Street Boot Camp on Friday, September 24, 2021,
from 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM.
This all-day training will take place in Trenton, MO. Take this great opportunity to refine your skills in fundraising, sponsorships, partnership development, board roles and responsibilities, committee roles, and community resiliency.
Kathy La Plante is a Senior Program Officer and Director of Coordinating Program Services at the National Main Street Center with expertise in building organizational capacity and developing promotional programming. She has worked in the Main Street field for nearly 25 years. She works throughout the U.S. providing training to cities of all sizes using the Main Street Approach™
to downtown revitalization.
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"The Doctor Is In": A New Service from MMSC's Historic Preservation Committee |
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The Historic Preservation Committee of Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC) is excited to offer "The Doctor Is In” service to Main Street communities from the MMSC Board of Directors and Advisory Board. This service serves as an initial consultation with a group of professionals about preservation-related questions, including: building material maintenance, funding, tax credits, façade renovation inquiries, and more. The committee will serve as the connector for the next steps with your project and put you in contact with professionals in the field that could be of additional assistance.
This service is available to all communities in good standing in the top three tiers: Accredited, Associate, and Affiliate. Community Empowerment Grant and St. Louis Main Streets communities/districts are also eligible as communities in the Affiliate Tier. To see if your community is represented on this list, click here.
You can find the application for this service through the button below. All applications are due to our Program Outreach Specialist, Ben White, before the end of the month. Ben will reach out for any additional information the committee may need to get a full scope of the applicant’s needs. The applicant will then be invited to a Zoom meeting to explain and discuss the problem with the "Doctors" at which time they will provide feedback.
Lastly, Ben will provide any additional feedback and follow-up. The application is simple and serves as the initial communication with Ben. As such, you may be asked to provide more pictures and documentation, depending on what the "Doctors" need.
Please be sure to submit all requested supporting documents as outlined in the application form.
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Celebrate New Beginnings: A Recap of Missouri's Virtual Premier Revitalization Conference
July 28-30, 2021
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Our featured speakers specializing in community revitalization, economic development, and other important areas for a Main Street organization and their businesses brought cutting-edge tools and practices for attendees to take away.
Thank you everyone for sending in your photos to #MMSCConference21. These are a few highlights from the submissions and behind-the-scenes photos.
Check out the announcement video we shared during the conference's closing session about Missouri Main Street's $1 Billion in public and private investment. This is a great achievement and speaks to the success all our communities have had as Main Street communities. Keep an eye out for new content in our year of "1 Billion and Rising."
We are looking forward to next year's conference in person! More details to come.
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If you are a Main Street organization or Main Street business that has received the Downtown Strong grant, congratulations! After matching consultants up with your requested needs in the application, we are excited to begin services soon. We are sending out the finalized agreement and additional information, if you have not received it already. Consultants will be reaching out to establish a relationship and a line of communication.
These consultants will be working very hard to deliver the services requested. Missouri Main Street Connection is excited to be working with them to bring tangible economic growth to Missouri downtowns and businesses.
Please reach out to Project Manager, Marla Mills, with any questions. Here we go!
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The American Rescue Plan and Downtown |
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By now, I’m sure everyone has heard about the American Rescue Plan, one of the largest economic rescue plans in American history. It has a mix of initiatives to help economic recovery and to fight COVID-19's impact. The nearly $2 trillion plan is complex, and without guidance, it is hard to understand all of the uses and eligible activities for local communities or downtowns to utilize. Luckily, there have been several organizations following along for guidance from the federal government on the uses and application of the funds that will be disbursed to local municipalities, counties, and state governments.
“Municipalities and counties can use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Funding to help Main Streets and business districts recover.” Main Street America has been following the U.S. Treasury Interim Final Report along with other entities to provide guidance for local Main Street programs.
There are three main areas for Main Street action related to the ARPA funds.
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For Small Businesses: ARPA funds can be used to financially assist businesses that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. Small businesses and non-profits, through ARPA, are eligible for grants, loans, and services that include: prevention measures or mitigation, technical assistance, counseling, or other services to assist with business planning needs. More information can be found on pages 34-35 of the U.S. Treasury Interim Final Report document.
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For Main Street Programs: If your Main Street program is a non-profit, ARPA allows for its funds to directly invest in building capacity and provide support for downtown revitalization. Multiple surveys have shown that Main Street programs were instrumental in supporting the business community downtown during the pandemic.
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Main Street programs became communication tools advising small businesses on ways to adjust their business model during lock-downs and then reopen safely. Main Street programs worked with cities on new zoning, relaxing existing zoning to support more outdoor seating, or to-go alcohol sales to remove barriers for struggling businesses. ARPA funding can be used to ensure proper funding for staffing the Main Street program and assist with direct funding as fundraising efforts have been affected by the pandemic. |
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For Business District Recovery: The U.S. Treasury identified business districts as an impacted industry, so State and local ARPA funds can be directed towards the needs of the entire downtown business district (page 36). See more details on how the district can qualify through lost revenue on pages 58-60 which it includes employment loss or business income lost. Other qualifying metrics include vacancy rates, rent per square foot, reduced sales tax, or foot traffic. Look at your district to determine what might best work. Estimates are that 30% of restaurants closed nationwide and that may be your indicator of impact in your district. Business district financial support may be used for district-wide marketing, placemaking, and streetscape improvements. Business district support should also consider investing in the future of the district through entrepreneur support, district recruitment planning, or specialized support for retailers or restauranteurs.
Main Street America stated that “most Main Street businesses (73%) were started by local entrepreneurs – not outside recruitment activities. To support business district recovery, municipalities should support entrepreneurial ecosystem building activities.”
If you need help with business recovery activities or support, Missouri Main Street Connection is equipped to help. Missouri Main Street offers several matching grants to provide services to your downtown revitalization efforts. More information can be found here.
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Missouri Main Street Bicentennial Passport |
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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: |
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Missouri Main Street Connection is happy to continue to offer an 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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Congratulations To Those Certified In July & August!
Michael Seabaugh - Uptown Jackson
Brandon Keller - Blue Springs Downtown Alive!
Melody Allen - Downtown Lebanon
Karen Marquart - Downtown Washington
Louetta Hays - Campbell Main Street Inc.
Bridget Bingham - Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization
Nick Findley - Downtown Dutchtown
Shawn Hull - Downtown Joplin Alliance
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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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You are invited to support Heritage Circle through a donation where you can be sure that it will have a lasting impact through the preservation of places of celebration in your community and many others. Your donation supports communities across Missouri and cultivates places for people to come together and embrace the importance of community culture, the value of local history, and embraces traditions that make each community irreplaceable.
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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