RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced that 16 communities across the Commonwealth will receive more than $200,000 in Virginia Main Street grants to support projects aimed at revitalizing historic commercial districts, expanding small businesses, and growing local economies.
“These grants will go a long way towards revitalizing downtown business and commercial districts, while also preserving their unique historic character,” said Governor Northam. “The Virginia Main Street program is a proven tool to help small communities create opportunities for long-term economic growth—that’s why we plan to invest significant resources from the American Rescue Plan to expand the reach of these redevelopment efforts.”
Downtown Investment Grants were awarded to 12 projects in the towns of Farmville, Orange, Altavista, Abingdon, Cape Charles, Onancock, Tappahannock, Tazewell, and St. Paul, and the cities of Hopewell, Winchester, and Manassas. Community Vitality Grants were awarded to four projects in the towns of Halifax and Pulaski, the city of Petersburg, and Nelson County. The awarded projects will leverage an additional $495,000 in local and other non-state resources.
“For more than three decades, the Virginia Main Street program has spurred economic development through revitalization and historic preservation,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “Downtowns are the heart and soul of so many communities across the Commonwealth, and these grants are designed to create opportunities for growth and economic sustainability, so that people want to spend time and money there.”
Last week, Governor Northam
announced a proposal to direct $53 million in American Rescue Plan funding to the Industrial Revitalization Fund and the Virginia Main Street program. This increased investment will be focused on providing support for minority and immigrant communities, as well as woman- and minority-owned businesses.
Since 1985, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has provided assistance to localities engaged in downtown commercial district revitalization through the Virginia Main Street program. DHCD uses the National Main Street Center’s comprehensive incremental Main Street Approach™, which is built around a community’s unique heritage, culture, and historic building attributes. To learn more about the Virginia Main Street program, visit
dhcd.virginia.gov/vms.
Among the grant recipients was the Town of Pulaski.
Pulaski Pocket Park and Mural Project
$7,000
Town of Pulaski
Pulaski On Main and students from the New River Community College art program will create a public mural in the town of Pulaski’s new pocket park. This project will build upon previous beautification efforts funded by a Community Development Block Grant.
