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In January, Main Street America announced the launch of the Where It Starts: Breaking Barriers to Business project, a $6.3 million, multi-year program to strengthen small businesses and open career pathways for individuals in five cohort cities across the U.S. Funded by the Truist Foundation and in partnership with Living Cities, the program will uplift entrepreneurs by providing them with tools and resources as well as collaboration opportunities with community leaders to break down barriers for local small business owners. The five cohort cities are Atlanta, Ga., Charlotte, N.C., Memphis, Tenn., Nashville, Tenn., and Miami, Florida. Within each city, Main Street America and Living Cities are partnering with select corridors to deepen their impact with local support.
Throughout the duration of the program, we will be featuring each city’s corridor to highlight the work they’re doing to support and uplift local business owners and entrepreneurs. We’ll also tap into how the Breaking Barriers to Business program will help develop, strengthen, and grow their existing resources. To kick off this series of articles, we’re featuring The Allapattah Collaborative (TAC), a historic neighborhood and the only Main Street community in the city of Miami.
Allapattah, located northwest of Downtown Miami, is one of Miami’s oldest and most diverse neighborhoods. Allapattah is also home to Little Santo Domingo, an area along the 17th Avenue commercial corridor that has been revitalized by Dominican immigrants. According to TAC’s website, “The area has gone through many transitions regarding its population and prosperity. Until the 1950s, the neighborhood was primarily populated by non-Hispanic white individuals, but the construction of I-95 through Overtown led to the migration of black individuals to the area. It would later become home to an influx of Cuban immigrants following the Cuban Revolution in 1959 and then an influx of Dominicans in the 1980s and 1990s. Allapattah is now considered a melting pot of residents from the Caribbean and Latin America.” To read more about Little Santo Domingo's historic business legacy, see this recent article from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The neighborhood is continuing to undergo significant transformation. Allapattah is currently a largely working-class area, with 8 out of 10 households qualifying as low- and middle-income. The historic neighborhood is now beginning to see signs of gentrification and displacement due to rising rental costs for both residential and commercial properties. Real estate developers and investors are beginning to show increased interest in the area due to its proximity to high-demand areas like Miami’s Downtown, Edgewater, and Wynwood, along with its relatively high elevation above sea level. Due to the rising threat of overdevelopment and displacement, the neighborhood was designated on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2023.
According to TAC Executive Director Mileyka Burgos-Flores, displacement of residents and business owners and cultural erasure are among the critical challenges the neighborhood is facing – and the single most crucial problem she and her team are working to remedy. TAC is leading a number of efforts to preserve and protect the cultural identity of Allapattah and Little Santo Domingo. Among them, providing tailored and culturally competent resources, education, and opportunities to small business owners and entrepreneurs living and working in the district – with the ultimate goal of implementing placemaking techniques to foster identity and support wealth-building strategies for marginalized communities of color.
“Part of everything we do, and something we continue to collaborate with the City of Miami on, is thinking through, what is displacing people? What are the issues that are making this business leave rather than stay? Why can’t they pay the rent increase and how can we mitigate that? We’re going to the core of the problem,” said Burgos-Flores. “We’re being very thoughtful about the core issues and finding a way to resolve them.”
Through the Breaking Barriers to Business partnership, TAC is working with Main Street America and Living Cities along with leadership within the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County, to further address gaps in access to capital, shift private and public policies, and provide technical assistance to entrepreneurs. Since the Breaking Barriers to Business launch in early 2023, the group has engaged in an Undoing Racism workshop, conducted an initial site visit, and hosted interviews with local business owners, culminating in an evaluation report. Next steps include the development of an action plan informed by their initial evaluation, along with additional site visits and on-going technical guidance and support.
"Creating equity in community building, and supporting the development and strength of small businesses is the cornerstone of building a brighter, more inclusive economic future,” said Alycia Levels-Moore, owner and founder of ASL Creative Firm, the consulting agency managing the project through Main Street America. “It is about paving the way for dreams to flourish and opportunities to thrive in our local communities. The work of the Allapattah Collective under the leadership of Milyeka is bound to make an indelible mark on the building up of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in her city and business corridor. This is the power of the Breaking Barriers to Business initiative, ensuring that business corridors in the Southeast are supported and provided the tools to build lasting change that can affect growth and policy for long term impact."
To learn more about the Where It Starts: Breaking Barriers to Business program, please visit the program landing page here.
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HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Spotlighting Tina’s Timeless Threads
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Center of the Yarniverse
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Spotlighting The Bankery
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Spotlighting BuzzBomb Brewing
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Spotlighting The Owl Wine Bar & Home Goods
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Spotlighting Griff Goods
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: Spotlighting Mockingbird Bar and Tacos
Meet a recipient of the HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program
Economic Gardening Takes Root: Redesigning the Bricks & Clicks Business Retention Program During the Pandemic
Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance explores how they redesigned their Bricks & Clicks Business Retention Program during the pandemic.
Business Spotlight: Women-Owned Businesses on Main Street (Part 3)
Meet some amazing women business owners!
New Survey Results: How Small Businesses are Managing the Pandemic and Social Unrest
Read the results of our survey aimed at understanding how business owners are managing the recovery from COVID-19 and responding to recent protests and social unrest related to police violence against Black Americans.
Research Spotlight: Black-Owned Businesses on Main Street and Beyond
Our research team dug into some of the data about the state of Black-owned businesses on Main Street, the structural challenges they face, and how Main Streets can support them.
Main Spotlight: Holiday Shopping During COVID: What Should Main Streets Expect?
Matt Wagner explores how the pandemic may affect the shop small holiday weekend.
Main Spotlight: How Rural Economies Can Leverage the Rise in Remote Work
COVID-19 has led to a rise in remote working. How can small and rural towns leverage this shift to create vibrant local economies?
The Impact of COVID-19 on Small Businesses: Follow-up Survey Report
Detailed findings from our follow-up survey on the impacts of COVID-19 on small businesses to better understand the continued challenges businesses face as the crisis evolves.
Main Spotlight: Recovery and Revitalization Depend on Understanding Human Psyche
How does psychology impact the recovery of our downtowns after the COVID-19 pandemic?
Local Impact: Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday® is more than a day to shop. It’s a nationwide movement that shines a spotlight on the importance of supporting small businesses in communities across America.
Community Spotlight: Benson, North Carolina
The Town of Benson started a special project to highlight their downtown businesses.
Community Spotlight: Berkley, Michigan
The Berkley Downtown Development Authority (DDA) proudly debuted its Downtown Berkley Shopping Bag for a Cause through a partnership between Better Life Bags.
Main Spotlight: Learnings from the ESHIP Summit
Supporting new and existing small businesses, and the entrepreneurs who run them, represents a vital aspect of the revitalization of downtowns and neighborhood business districts.
Creating Equitable, Inclusive and Transparent Cities: A Year in Review
The Equitable Economic Development Fellowship is a two-year, one million-dollar effort funded by the Surdna Foundation and the Open Society Foundations to help equity, transparency, sustainability and community engagement become driving forces in local economic development efforts.
Community Spotlight: Mini-Grants Offered to Small Businesses in Jefferson, Iowa
The Jefferson Rotary Club partnered with Jefferson Matters: Main Street to offer mini-grants for building facades and storefront signage to two dozen businesses for up to $500 each.
A Memorable Makeover on Main Street
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) partnered with Retailworks, Inc., a commercial interior design, display and branding firm headquartered in Milwaukee, to launch Wisconsin’s Main Street Makeover Contest.
Creative Discovery on the Maker Trail in Enid, Oklahoma
Kelly Tompkins of Main Street Enid shares more about the Maker Trail project and how it inspired creativity and helped people discover downtown.
City Sidewalks, Dressed in Holiday Style
Too often, as we’re strolling our favorite Main Street, we pass empty or dark shop windows that make us want to hurry home a little bit faster. Imagine instead, a charming streetscape adorned with vibrant, lively window displays, showcasing retailers’ favorite products and seasonal gift ideas.
Community Spotlight: #ShopSmall in Goldsboro, North Carolina
Small Business Saturday promo pic from Downtown Goldsboro, North Carolina, showing all the folks who took the pledge support a small business in their community.
Using Local Search Trends to Attract More Customers to Your Main Street
We’ve put together a practical list of some of the things that local store owners can do right now to help them capitalize on this increasing trend in local searches.
Network Spotlight: Main Street Iowa Restaurant Week
From authentic comfort food to farm-to-fork fresh and everything in between, these restaurants, bars, and cafes are key to the thriving social, business, and residential life in the historic commercial districts in Main Street Iowa communities.
Fab Lab Sparks Rural Opportunities
Located in southeast Kansas, Independence (pop.8,799) is home to Fab Lab ICC, which is on track to be the world’s leading innovator in combining entrepreneurial mindset education with a fab lab maker space.
Community Spotlight: Morganton, North Carolina
The craft beer industry is playing a key role in the rebirth of Main Streets and neighborhood commercial districts across the county.
Rethink Storefront Accessibility to Rethink Community Viability
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
Sparking a Movement in Small Business and Small Towns
Being the only person in the know can be fun, exhilarating even. Except when you are the one person out of 600+ in a room and you know bad news is coming.
The Lowdown in Downtown LaBelle
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Pop-Up Altavista 2.0
Altavista On Track, the local Main Street organization, is working to cultivate and sustain local entrepreneurs with an educational business launch competition, Pop-Up Altavista 2.0.
The Bright Center: A Space for Winchester’s Bright Minds to Create, Innovate and Thrive
In Winchester, Virginia, one woman’s vision and commitment to downtown’s revitalization created an innovative community space for the Creative Class.
Why Business Retention and Expansion Plans are Important for Downtowns
A business retention and expansion plan, properly implemented, not only helps keep businesses open but possibly even helps them expand.
Business Investment Guides: “Think B.I.G.”
The first rule of conducting business is “make it simple.” The easier it is to pay for merchandise, get entertainment or obtain a service, the more likely it is that people will take advantage of those options.
Small Box – A Creative Retail Project
Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
Supporting Immigrant Entrepreneurs in the Heart of Boston’s Main Streets
To understand the role that immigrant business owners play in Boston’s small business ecosystem, you need only to walk through any Boston Main Streets district.
Measuring the Economic Impact of Storefront Improvements
Façade appearance is a critical aspect of the overall aesthetic appeal and unique character of downtown.
Sign Design Guidelines
A lot of signs are necessary to make a downtown work well, but not every community knows what a good sign system looks like, or how instrumental it can be to the creation of a successful downtown.
Improving Performance in Main Street Iowa Communities
Main Street Iowa, a program of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center, created a one-of-a-kind three-year program to provide help for performance venues located in Main Street districts.
