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From left to right: The mayor of Macon announces their GAMSA win at a press conference. © NewTown Macon; Madison residents celebrate the GAMSA honor at a ceremony watch party. © Madison Main Street; Monroeville celebrates their award at their annual Farm to Table dinner. © Monroeville Main Street.
At the 2024 Main Street Now Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, we announced our 2024 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners: NewTown Macon (Macon, Georgia), Madison Main Street (Madison, Indiana), and Monroeville Main Street (Monroeville, Alabama). I spoke to the executive directors of each program to learn how they celebrated this exciting achievement and the impact that the Great American Main Street Award has had on their work and their communities.
What was one of your favorite reactions to the Great American Main Street Award announcement? Did you receive any special shout-outs or congratulations?
Emily Hopkins, NewTown Macon: I was actually in the car with the chair of our Main Street board when I got the call from Main Street America telling us we won. I remember seeing the number pop up on the screen and saying to Trish: “I think this might be about GAMSA…” When they told us we won, we both started screaming with delight. I’ll always share that moment with her.
It was tough, but we kept the award a secret from most of board members and major donors. During the award ceremony, I sat beside Karen Lambert, President & CEO of the Peyton Anderson Foundation. Karen’s mother founded NewTown in 1996 and she carries on her spirit and passion for downtown Macon in her role at Peyton Anderson Foundation. Seeing her beam with pride on stage when she accepted the award is something I’ll never forget, along with all the smiles, hugs, and happy tears that were shared by all Maconites who attended the ceremony.
Austin Sims, Madison Main Street: My favorite reaction to receiving GAMSA was the honest reactions by my board members. I was told not to tell anyone other than a few board members, and I took that to heart! Out of our group of 15 who attended, only five of us knew that Madison had received this recognition.
Anne Marie Deas Bryan, Monroeville Main Street: To say our community partners were a little excited would be an understatement. We were so proud to be able to have so many people at Main Street Now to celebrate with us. Our new partnership hashtag is #CollaborationWins because this is a win for all of Monroeville. Regions Bank, a Main Street Alabama investor, Main Street Now 2024 sponsor, and now, a Monroeville Main Street sponsor, came to visit our community and wrote a wonderful story about us in April. They immediately updated their story when we won the GAMSA, and it has been picked up by nine different publications, including CSR Wire and MENAFN. The calls with congratulations and questions about Main Street keep coming in!
The city of Monroeville proclaimed June as Monroeville Main Street Month. © Monroeville Main Street
How did your community celebrate the award?
Emily Hopkins: We’re still celebrating! That Friday, when we got back to Macon, we hosted a press conference celebrating the award with our community. The press conference was held on Coleman Hill, one our beloved parks overlooking downtown Macon, and we showered the crowd with confetti when Mayor Miller announced that we won the award. The following Sunday, we invited the community to join us on Coleman Hill again for our monthly Second Sunday concert hosted by Bragg Jam (a non-profit that hosts an annual music festival and other concerts throughout the year). We gave out free t‑shirts commemorating the GAMSA win to the first 50 people who showed up — people started showing up an hour and half early for the show! Alongside those events, all the downtown theaters have put our GAMSA win on their marquees, and Visit Macon installed a mural commemorating the win.
Austin Sims: We are still celebrating! For the award ceremony, we worked with the River Boat Inn & Suites to host a watch party for folks at home so that they could gather and celebrate with us live via Facebook. We have also worked with Visit Madison, Inc., and City of Madison to brainstorm celebration ideas. So far, we have created a banner for our office window, drafted a blog post, started a social media campaign with businesses holding the GAMSA plaque, and created a page on our website dedicated to the award and related information.
Anne Marie Deas Bryan: We will be celebrating for the next year! The city signed a proclamation declaring June as Monroeville Main Street Month, commemorating our designation on June 1st. We now have eight-foot-tall GAMSA/Monroeville Main Street banners around our courthouse square and we shared our projects, success, and partners in a slideshow at our Farm to Table dinner. After the dinner, the slideshow will be used to create multiple reels to use on social media, our website, our committee profiles, speaking engagements, and more.
Macon residents celebrated the 2024 GAMSA win at their monthly Second Sunday concert. © NewTown Macon
In the coming months and years, what plans do you have to use your award deepen or expand your work?
Emily Hopkins: We have an incredible story to tell in Macon. Our downtown experienced a dramatic decline in the 1970s and 1980s — only a third of our storefronts were full, many of our historic buildings were shuttered, and our streets were empty. Downtown Macon was the worst of the worst, and now we’re being recognized as one of America’s greatest downtowns. We got here today because our community rallied around a shared vision for downtown Macon where all Maconites have opportunities and resources to open a business, purchase and rehab a building, or curate the experience they want for themselves and this community. We plan to use this honor as leverage for generating national news coverage around our efforts to achieve an integrated revitalization success story where no Maconite is left behind.
Austin Sims: We will continue our social media campaign with the business owners holding the plaque until we run out of businesses! We hope to place permanent duplicates around Madison to encourage a wayfinding activity. Each location throughout our district will have information about GAMSA, the award, and Main Street Approach, as well as about Madison. We are struggling to find the funds for this at the moment, but we hope to continue the search and the planning.
Anne Marie Deas Bryan: We are looking forward to spreading the word about the Main Street Approach and how it can transform communities. We’ve had numerous communities call, schedule visits, and ask for us to come speak in their community. We have received unexpected donations which we will use for grant projects. We are currently working on multiple grant applications for a $500,000+ public/private partnership project. This project will see the creation of at least four new businesses (probably a total of seven business within two years) and 23 new full-time jobs upon completion. Just last week, we assisted the city in securing $350,000 in state and federal funding with no match required — a grant we found after both the private partner and city officials ask for Main Street’s help with identifying possible funding. In the long-term, we want to own a building, and we are discussing a capital campaign to raise funds to purchase and renovate a building and to create an endowment fund to help cover annual expenses and long-term maintenance.
The Madison Main Street team poses in front of a local business with their GAMSA plaque. © Madison Main Street
What does the Great American Main Street Award mean to your organization? How does this recognition impact your work and your community?
Emily Hopkins: We received this honor because of the equitable and fair habits we have created as a community to drive progress. We created the Macon Action Plan, our downtown comprehensive plan, as a community, with input from every zip code, race, religion, and identity in Macon-Bibb County. And we implemented that plan together. This award shows us that if we continue working the plan and working together, we win. This honor recognizes our shared commitment to each other as Maconites and gives the encouragement to keep chipping away at the goals we’ve identified for ourselves.
Austin Sims: To us, it is reassurance. This award solidifies the story of Madison and the Main Street Approach. This award reflects the longevity and commitment our community has to Main Street and to Madison. This award is helping us tell our story.
Anne Marie Deas Bryan: It has been gratifying to be recognized for the hard work so many in our community contributed to revitalizing our historic downtown, and it adds a new level of credibility to our organization. In Monroeville, a win for one of us is a win for all of us! Receiving GAMSA has been a source of community pride, which means more citizens are talking about our program and becoming interested in downtown activities.
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Main Spotlight: Better Community Planning & Economic Development Series with Ed McMahon
Leverage NC, a partnership between North Carolina Main Street and the North Carolina League of Municipalities, hosted a four-part webinar series titled Better Community Planning & Economic Development led by Ed McMahon, Chair Emeritus of Main Street America and a leading national authority on land use policy and economic development.
Community Spotlight: Main Street America’s Field Team Gets Back on the Road
After many zoom meetings, our road warriors are back visiting communities and providing technical assistance.
Washington, IA © Kathy La Plante
2020 Year in Review: A Letter to the Network
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.
