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The Kennebec River is the heart of Skowhegan, Maine. © Main Street Skowhegan
Fueled by remote work and one of the greatest increases in the rate of new business formation, many Main Streets, especially in smaller communities, have experienced lower vacancy rates, increased tourism, and population growth. In fact, according to the US Census Bureau, most rural counties saw gains in population because of net domestic migration, with 481 growing by 2% or more between 2020 and 2022. Over the past decade — and especially the past few years — Main Streets have experienced tremendous growth.
In 2015, Main Street America introduced a new framework to guide our work: transformation strategies. This has created a significant shift in our approach, centered on the recognition that, in a hyper competitive, consumer-driven economy, we needed to focus on strategies that highlight unique value propositions and competitive advantages. Almost a decade later, the Main Street Network has leveraged this concept in a number of ways, including leaning into food-centric economies, small-scale production, the arts, and the outdoor recreation industry. When we launched this approach, we focused on traditional metrics of success like the creation of new jobs, businesses, and tax revenue. But as some communities experienced growth in these areas, they began to struggle with unanticipated challenges, including escalating rent and property values, hyper- or over-tourism, and low vacancies resulting in declining pathways for emerging entrepreneurs.
These challenges play an important role in the implementation of transformation strategies and long-term community outcomes. As we examine the impact of our approach, we need to consider who is, and is not, benefiting from growth. How can our strategies support the needs of locals and create opportunities for all socioeconomic groups?
Main Street Skowhegan provides a leading example of how local leaders can consider equity impacts while they plan and implement transformation strategies. As they invest in their outdoor recreation economy, they are building important, much needed infrastructure and investing in strong local support systems to help mitigate the potentially negative effects of their growth. By embedding these considerations into their transformation strategy, they will support wider success and prosperity across their community.
Transforming Downtown Skowhegan
Skowhegan, Maine, has a population of 8,854 people and, like many communities in the Northeast, a historical legacy of manufacturing. Over time, many of those jobs migrated outside of the U.S., and, as a result, the local poverty rate was about 2.5% higher than U.S. average in 2022.
To reimagine downtown Skowhegan’s future, Main Street Skowhegan developed two transformation strategies that leverage emerging industries in the area: outdoor recreation focused on the Kennebeck River Gorge and future Skowhegan River Park, and a food-based strategy focused on leveraging growth and entrepreneurial spinouts from locally-owned agriculture and food production.
From left to right: Patric Moore, Director of Entrepreneurship at Skowhegan Main Street; Celeste Banda, Recompete Grant Coordinator at Skowhegan Main Street; Matt Wagner, Ph.D., Chief Innovation Officer at Main Street America; and Kristina Cannon, President and CEO at Main Street Skowhegan. © Main Street America
Much of their outdoor recreation strategy has focused on a key anchor initiative: the Skowhegan River Park. The project will include:
- A whitewater play area with waves and rapids for kayaking, surfing, tubing, and stand-up paddle boarding
- A four-season trail system for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing
- Improved fish habitat and fishing waters
- Stair access to the park from downtown, and an ADA-compliant ramp to the water’s edge
- A two-mile riverfront promenade
- A boathouse and events center
- Parks for nature-based tourism
- Opportunities for regional partnerships and packages
According to Main Street Skowhegan’s President and CEO, Kristina Cannon, the project has secured $5.1 million in funding to match the town’s $1 million from a local Tax Incremental Financing project, which will go towards Phase 1, including the construction of the adjustable surf and kayak waves and improved access into the river. The bulk of this funding came from an American Rescue Plan Act grant from U.S. Economic Development Administration. They plan to begin construction in Spring 2025.
The project has also already raised $2 million in funding (from US Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Project Funding supported by both of Maine’s senators) for Phase 2, which will include construction of the riverfront promenade (greenspace and boardwalk), viewing areas, and access into the river from the downtown area. The total price tag for this is $11 million.
Alongside this outdoor recreation focus, they are also building a robust food economy that leverages local agriculture and production alongside a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem to support legacy business and foster the creation of new ones. In 2020, Main Street Skowhegan founded the Skowhegan Center for Entrepreneurship to support local entrepreneurs. More recently, they announced Kitchen 185, a shared food kitchen facility that will accelerate the development of their food transformation strategy by bringing together local producers and new restaurants. Main Street Skowhegan is also investing in agritourism, access to fresh produce, and youth engagement to further support their food economy.
It is also worth noting that Skowhegan was part of the original three Maine entrepreneurial ecosystem community pilots lead by the Maine Downtown Center, Maine Community Foundation, and Main Street America in 2019.
Skowhegan Outdoor Basecamp’s outdoor lending library. © Matt Wagner
Creating Equitable Outdoor Experiences
Main Street Skowhegan’s outdoor recreation strategy has multiple equity considerations built into the plan. In the development of the Skowhegan River Park, accessibility was an important design consideration. The inclusion of an ADA-compliant ramp leading down to the river will ensure that everyone is able to access Skowhegan’s beautiful waterfront.
Building a resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem that fosters opportunities for locals to launch businesses and scale or pivot existing ones is another crucial element of their equity focus. A rich outdoor recreation economy requires a mix of retail and service businesses to support hikers, rafters, and climbers as they explore Skowhegan and the region. By investing in their entrepreneurial ecosystem, Main Street Skowhegan helps the success and prosperity of these initiatives stay local.
Main Street Skowhegan uses community participation to secure input on both overall design and specific project components. They have held multiple town meeting votes for different elements of their transformation strategy implementation. During strategic planning in 2016, they engaged more than 500 members of the community to help develop the official Skowhegan Strategic Plan for Community Transformation.
One particularly innovative aspect of this equity-focused work on their outdoor recreation strategy has been the creation of the Skowhegan Outdoor Basecamp. Owned and operated by Main Street Skowhegan, the 3,000 sq. ft. facility features gathering spaces, free outdoor-focused educational programs, and an outdoor lending library.
The lending library is part of a free membership that is available to all Sommerset County residents. Through this program, members can borrow outdoor equipment, like mountain bikes, kayaks, skiing equipment, and climbing gear, for free. In addition, they recently launched a bike repair service. The library is managed by six AmeriCorp Vista volunteers through Main Street Skowhegan.
Outdoor recreation can be a powerful tool for economic revitalization. As we invest millions in accessible outdoor recreation and civic infrastructure in the heart of our downtown, it’s imperative that we revitalize with a community-first lens.
Refining Our Approach
Although many of these programs are relatively new, Skowhegan is already starting to see their impact. The Skowhegan Center for Entrepreneurship has helped support more than 50 local businesses and awarded more than $16,000 in grants. In 2023, Skowhegan Outdoors hosted 202 free outdoor programs and served 1,810 area residents. This year, they have 130 members who have participated in 137 outdoor gear item rentals.
As Main Streets receive greater public and private investments through our collective community efforts, it’s important to consider the impact of revitalization in a more meaningful way. Main Street Skowhegan is an example of the many ways we can encourage greater equity within our work, especially in the development and implementation of transformation strategies. Main Streets are for everyone — we need to be sure that the growth and investment stemming from our work benefits and uplifts everyone.
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President and CEO Patrice Frey reflects on 2020 and the early events of 2021.
Florence, SC © True Light Photography
HartBeat of Main Street Grant Program: First Round Recipient Spotlights
These 67 recipients from across the country ranged from bakeries and boutiques to salons and museums, but they all shared a commitment to the program's goals of responding and adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic and helping to revitalize and strengthen older and historic downtown commercial districts.
New Research from Brookings and the National Main Street Center on the Value of Main Street Organizations
The Brookings Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking released a new series of research briefs focused on the role that place governance organizations, like Main Street programs, play in revitalizing rural downtowns and promoting equitable rural economic and community development.
Congratulations to the 2020 MSARP Recipients!
Meet the latest graduates of our certificate program for leaders in commercial district revitalization.
Main Spotlight: Developing a Toolbox to Help Manage Growth on Main Street
Georgetown has developed a strong Downtown Master Plan that helps serve as a guide-point for planning efforts in downtown
Announcing the 2020 Mary Means Leadership Award Recipient
Meet Sharon Jablonski, the Director of Morganton Main Street in Morganton, North Carolina, and the first recipient of the Mary Means Leadership Award.
Announcing the 2020 Great American Main Street Award Winners
Congratulations to these Main Street programs for their fantastic work!
Community Spotlight: Missouri Main Street Connection Leads the Iowa Community Expedition
Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC) had the opportunity to take Missouri Executive Directors and other community representatives on the Iowa Community Expedition
District Spotlight: Pontiac, Michigan
In response, UrbanMain and Main Street Oakland County joined forces in March 2018 to assist Pontiac stakeholders in putting their downtown organization back on a positive track, making Pontiac the first community in Michigan to participate in the UrbanMain initiative.
2018 Partners in Preservation: Main Streets Winning Sites
American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Main Street America announced the winners of the 2018 Partners in Preservation: Main Streets campaign.
2018 Community Transformation Workshop Recap
An essential component of the Main Street America Institute, the three-day in-person workshop gives participants hands-on tools to enact revitalization projects in their communities.
A Statewide Movement Improving West Virginia Main Streets
Since 2013, Try This West Virginia has sought to improve health environments in local communities as a collaboration of organizations working together to combat the health challenges facing West Virginians.
Community Spotlight: Main Street Hampton
Main Street Hampton hosted a Food and Friends Farm-to-Table dinner at the Rustic Brew during Main Street Iowa Restaurant Week.
Community Spotlight: Partners in Preservation 2018
From community gathering spaces to retail incubators, from small towns to big cities – this year’s projects and communities are a testament to the diversity of Main Streets across the country.
Community Spotlight: Ames, Iowa
Downtown Ames hosted a festival for the 46th annual RAGBRAI race (The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa).
7 Ways To Bring Your Main Street On Screen
You don’t need to be a big-name district to make a video that goes viral; you just need to know what you’re doing.
Comcast Newsmakers: Revitalizing Downtown
Matt Wagner, National Main Street Center's Vice President of Revitalization Programs, discusses competitive advantages, incrementalism and the power of the Main Street America network
Community Spotlight: Main Street Homer, Louisiana
Main Street Homer (Homer, Louisiana) was awarded a $25,000 A Community Thrives social impact grant from Gannett/USA Today Network to create an arts center with affordable artist studios and classroom/event space.
Evolution, Acceptance, and Change: The Main Street Approach as a Catalyst for Revitalization
Nearly slated for demolition 30 years ago, downtown Cedar Falls has experienced an amazing transformation through its revitalization journey using the Main Street Approach.
Main Street Roots Run Deep in Downtown Wytheville
Since starting as Executive Director, Todd has helped the organization achieve Virginia Main Street Designation Status and national Accreditation.
Announcing the 2018 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center, Inc., announced Downtown Oregon City, Rock Springs Main Street/Urban Renewal Agency, and Howell Main Street as the 2018 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners during its annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
Main Streets in Action
We rolled out four new Main Street America videos highlighting the power of the Main Street movement, Main Street Approach, economic impact of Main Street, and the incredible volunteers that make Main Street's grassroots network so effective.
Community Spotlight: Ridgefield Main Street
Ridgefield Main Street is an energetic, up-and-coming Washington Main Street program located just north of Vancouver, Washington.
Want to do something big? Start small.
A series of small, incremental improvements, when taken together, provide momentum for long-term economic transformation and improved quality of life in a community.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: The Refresh from Our Communities’ Perspective
Here's a bit of background on each of the communities. Read on for the Refresh Implementation Q&A.
Announcing the 2017 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) during its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Reality of Main Street — Letter from the President
The National Main Street Center and the Brookings Institution have jointly authored a response to Mr. Hyman’s piece, The Reality of Main Street, that is featured on Brookings’ blog.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: Our Process and Lessons Learned So Far
Michigan Main Street Center was the first Coordinating Program to implement the new Main Street approach on a large scale. In this article, they share their robust process and valuable lessons.
The Reality of Main Street
There is another way for smaller communities to compete in today’s economy and we believe a strong main street strategy is at the heart of it.
The Myth of Main Street? Letter from the President
Letter from past MSA President, Patrice Frey
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.
Strategic Planning Through Transformation Strategies – Saline, Michigan
Back in October 2015, we introduced the three key components of the refreshed Main Street Approach: inputs, outputs and Community Transformation Strategies.
Revitalization and Main Street Transformation
For a lucky few downtowns, greatness may happen effortlessly with a strong sense of place that seems to develop organically and simply sustain itself. For most places, success doesn’t happen by chance.
Revisit Your Community’s Unique Assets: Connecting Asset-Based Economic Development to Community Transformation Strategies
This need for change results from the heavy emphasis on three components of the refreshed Main Street Approach.
The 2016 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The 2016 winners are a diverse group in geography and character, but together demonstrate the broad applicability of the Main Street Approach:
Main Street Nation Radio
The first official show under the Main Street Nation banner aired in June 2015 on WJR-760 AM Detroit.
The Path To The Future
The economic value of historic preservation on Main Street.
Refresh Demonstration Project Sites: Learning Labs for the Updated Main Street Approach
A series of demonstration projects providing the opportunity to test new strategies on the ground, learn from practitioners, and refine the approach.
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.
Wisconsin Main Street: 27 Years of People, Places and Progress
While there have been over $1.2 billion in public and private investment in Wisconsin Main Street communities over the past 27 years, what really makes it special are the people and places that have been involved.
Pop-Up Art Tour
Main Street Bartow's empty storefronts become pop-up art galleries to promote economic development.
A Walk Through Rehoboth Beach Main Street
Although a “beach town,” Rehoboth Beach is open 365 days a year, and with that has the unique challenge of catering to both year-round residents and tourists within a wide range of ages, interests and economic levels
Independent We Stand Makes Main Streets a Priority
In communities across the country, hardworking business owners and buy local advocates come together to foster an organized effort to reinvent and revitalize Main Streets and downtown districts.
Announcing the 2015 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce that Cape Girardeau, Mo., Montclair Center, N.J., and Rawlins, Wyo. were selected as the 2015 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winners.
