Real Estate and Property Development
Main Street programs have a crucial role to play when it comes to thoughtful development of housing and commercial district property. This section provides research, tools, and guidance on how to manage the physical imprint in your district.
Browse AllBuilding Opportunities on Main Street Tracker
Designed for local leaders, this user-friendly property inventory tool allows users to easily gather, store, and showcase information about buildings and lots in their districts. The Building Opportunities on Main Street (BOOMS) Tracker is available to all designated Main Street districts in our network.
Browse Resources
How to Build a Better Building Inventory with the BOOMS Tracker
Watch this webinar to learn about the Building Opportunities on Main Street (BOOMS) Tracker's functionality, see a live demonstration of how quick and easy it is to enter data, and get a preview for what's next for this powerful tool made for local leaders.
- Real Estate and Property Development
Building Opportunities on Main Street Tracker
Designed for local leaders, this user-friendly property inventory tool allows users to easily gather, store, and showcase information about buildings and lots in their districts. The Building Opportunities on Main Street Tracker (BOOMS) Tracker is available to all designated Main Street districts in our network.
- Real Estate and Property Development
deCoding Downtown
This guide from Main Street Alabama identifies the ways that municipal regulations can be used to support downtown transformation efforts with an emphasis on zoning and building codes.
- Community Preservation
- Real Estate and Property Development
Housing Quiz
As part of our "At Home on Main Street" project, this tool is designed to help local leaders assess strengths and challenges related to housing in their downtowns or commercial corridors. Take the quiz to receive target resources to support housing efforts in your community.
- Real Estate and Property Development
Determining Main Street Boundaries
Use this resource to guide your efforts to established or re-draw the boundaries of your downtown or neighborhood commercial district. Published by Texas Main Street Program.
- Real Estate and Property Development
- Public Space and Infrastructure
Community Reuse Property Prioritization Tool
Use this tool to help you understand property characteristics and history, ownership, environmental conditions, and reuse planning to make more informed decisions. Published by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
- Real Estate and Property Development
The Future Is Now: Main Street Development Strategies
Watch this webinar to learn how to use incubation spaces, fabrication labs, entrepreneurial training classes, adult pitch funding activities, investment groups, and alternative finance enhancements to drive downtown growth.
- Real Estate and Property Development
The Greenest Building
This groundbreaking study concludes that building reuse almost always offers environmental savings over demolition and new construction.
- Community Preservation
- Real Estate and Property Development
Fire Safety in Historic Buildings
As you work with property owners to develop historic structures for retail, housing, and other uses, it is important to understand the necessary fire safety upgrades you need to make. Handbook published by National Trust for Historic Preservation.
- Community Preservation
- Real Estate and Property Development
A Housing Guidebook for Local Leaders
As part of our "At Home on Main Street" project, this guidebook provides detailed guidance on zoning, regulations, downtown vacancies, real estate funding, and more to help local leaders improve housing access and affordability in their communities.
- Real Estate and Property Development
A Report on the State of Housing
As part of our "At Home on Main Street" project, this report explores nationwide research on housing stock, affordability, and accessibility in historic downtowns and neighborhoods.
- Real Estate and Property Development
Housing Quiz
This new tool is designed to help local leaders assess strengths and challenges related to housing in their downtowns or commercial corridors.
Latest News & Stories
Main Spotlight: Breaking Barriers to Acquiring Commercial Properties
Creating real change in business ownership starts with local communities leading the way, backed by strong partnerships and collaborations.
Diving into the BOOMS Tracker with Brian Kramer at Hilltop Campus Village
Meet BOOMS Tracker super user, Brian Kramer, and learn how he is using to tool to build a deeper understanding of his Main Street district.
Webinar: How to Build a Better Building Inventory with the BOOMS Tracker
Join the Main Street America Research Team for a webinar on June 20th to learn more about how to use the Building Opportunities on Main Streets Tracker.
Main Spotlight: The Art of Market Analysis (Part One)
Matt Wagner, Ph.D., breaks down how context and outreach can help you build a stronger market analysis.
Main Spotlight: How to Rehabilitate a Historic Building
Becky Axilbund, Executive Director at Main Street Middletown, MD Inc., shares lessons learned from their renovation of two downtown buildings.
Main Spotlight: Restoration and Resurgence in the Historic 4th Avenue Black Business District
Urban Impact Inc., harnesses strategic investments and collaborative efforts to foster a vibrant and sustainable future, from visionary adaptive reuse ventures to transformative development grants for small businesses and property owners in Birmingham, Alabama's historic 4th Avenue Black Business District.
Building Opportunities on Main Street Through the BOOMS Tracker
We are excited to announce the Building Opportunities on Main Street (BOOMS) Tracker, a new free tool to help designated Main Streets unlock the potential of their vacant properties. This user-friendly property inventory tool allows local leaders can gather, store, and showcase information about their district’s built environment to plan and advocate for new property uses.
Main Street America Partners Secure Allocation of GGRF Funding
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $20B in federal Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) awards distributed to eight national non-profit consortiums. Main Street America looks forward to partnership and engagement with awardees and local programs to identify projects and expand impact throughout our network.
Announcing the New At Home on Main Street Housing Quiz
Answer 12 questions to find out the "personality" of your district and resources that cover related housing topics.
3 Main Street Communities Receive $100,000 Small Business Accelerator Grants from The Hartford
Middlesboro Main Street in Middlesboro, Ky., Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Chicago, Ill., and Sugar Creek Business Association in Charlotte, N.C., have each been awarded $100,000 through The Hartford Small Business Accelerator Grant Program in partnership with Main Street America.
Historic Preservation Advocacy to Help Overcome the Housing Crisis: HUD Pro Housing Program and Other Opportunities
Learn how the HUD Pro Housing Program and other opportunities can help you increase affordable housing in your community.
Main Spotlight: Exploring the 2023 Summer Intern Projects
Learn how Majd Alsaif, Celeste Constancio, and Leilani Commons supported Main Street America this summer.