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This week, T-Mobile announced its latest round of Hometown Grant recipients, reaching 250 communities across 43 states and more than $11 million in funding since they kicked off the five-year commitment in April 2021.
Through Hometown Grants, people in small towns nationwide are kickstarting projects that make a real difference and help their communities thrive. With $25 million set aside through 2026 to support Hometown Grants, T-Mobile is investing in the power of community-driven initiatives to ensure small towns can connect, innovate, and grow together.
"With 250 recipients, we've officially hit the halfway mark with T-Mobile’s Hometown Grants, and the impact is astounding,” said Jon Freier, President, Consumer Group, T-Mobile. "This milestone isn’t just about communities revitalizing their towns … it's acknowledging the ripple effect — job creation and tens of thousands of volunteer hours sparking a profound wave of positive change throughout small town America — and I can’t wait to see what the next half brings."
T-Mobile works with Main Street America and Smart Growth America to select Hometown Grant recipients. These two organizations have decades of experience helping to build stronger, more prosperous small towns and rural communities. Application assessments are based on level of detail and completeness, potential community impact, project viability, and other factors.
Check out the next 25 Hometown Grant recipients and their projects:
• *Talladega, Ala.: Build Unity Playground, the first ever inclusive and ADA accessible public park in the city, complete with wheelchair ramps, sensory and inclusive play components.
• Coalinga, Calif.: Transform a vacant downtown lot into the Coalinga Splash Park, a first-of-its-kind outdoor recreational facility in the area.
• Paradise, Calif.: Install a Students of the Ridge handprint tile mural at Paradise Community Park to celebrate the community’s growth in the five years since the 2018 Camp Fire.
• Soledad, Calif.: Build an inclusive performing arts stage at the Soledad Community Center, including updated stage lighting and ADA accessible lift for community youth performances.
• *Smyrna, Del.: Commission murals by renowned muralist Michael Rosato, at two key downtown locations, highlighting the community’s natural beauty and diverse history, as part of ongoing downtown revitalization efforts.
• *Darien, Ga.: Beautify Darien’s downtown district by adding wayfinding signage, upgraded lighting and new benches to establish the area as a destination and gathering space.
• Woodbine, Ga.: Enhance the Cornelia Jackson Memorial Park by adding new playground equipment to improve community health and wellness and overall quality of life.
• Eldora, Iowa: Complete the Eldora Trail, a nearly one-mile paved connector trail, to provide an accessible, scenic and safe 10.3-mile trail loop connecting the City of Eldora, Steamboat Rock and Pine Lake State Park.
• *Augusta, Kan.: Rebuild the Castle Park Playground, covering over 11,000 square feet, utilizing sustainable materials to provide a safe, accessible environment for children to enjoy.
• Magee, Miss.: Revitalize one of Magee’s most vital hubs, the Community House, by repairing the roof, flooring and HVAC system.
• Hannibal, Mo.: Revitalize the Bluff City Theatre Auditorium, including improvements to seating, a new lighting controls system, updated lighting instruments, and improved sound system, to ensure the theatre can continue to provide free professional performances for Northwest Missouri and Western Illinois communities for years to come.
• Hillsborough, N.J.: Launch the Arts in the Parks program at Ann Van Middlesworth Park, creating 15 sidewalk art panels with the collaboration of the community.
• Las Vegas, N.M.: Install three decorative gateway entrances to Gallinas River Park, as a part of the City of Las Vegas’ downtown beautification project – which will serve as a welcoming destination point for visitors and iconic park landmark.
• Chillicothe, Ohio: Install a wayfinding kiosk in the heart of Historic Downtown Chillicothe to promote local businesses, community events and increase local and visitor foot traffic.
• *El Reno, Okla.: Renovate the Historic Fort Reno Visitor Center and Museum by replacing outdated windows to ensure it continues being enjoyed by frequent Route 66 travelers.
• Kansas, Okla.: Restore Kansas Park, including ADA accessible upgrades to the children’s playgrounds, basketball courts and new trash receptacles to provide the community with a safe and fully functioning space for outdoor gatherings.
• *Poteau, Okla.: Build the new Downtown Dewey District, beginning with the Pocket Park, to be used as a multipurpose event outdoor area.
• *Baker City, Ore.: Install the Baker City Splash Pad at Central Park, providing an accessible outdoor recreational space for the community.
• *Lebanon, Ore.: Revamp the existing Lebanon Chamber of Commerce building with the addition of an outdoor covered patio, to use as a networking space for the local business community.
• York, Pa.: Begin the process of upgrading the York Area United Fire and Rescue Department’s existing fleet of staff response vehicles with hybrid-vehicle technology, providing improved fuel and cost efficiency while the department continues to provide community outreach services to three communities across 39 square miles.
• *Kingstree, S.C.: Renovate the historic C. Williams Rush Museum of African American Arts and Culture building, by replacing the roof to continue to host future events for the community.
• Rice, Texas: Install a new HVAC system as a part of the Rice Community Gym Project, providing a climate-controlled safe space to serve local and surrounding communities during emergency situations, as well as provide indoor recreational, educational, civic and entertainment activities for its citizens.
• Bristol, Va.: Create the Bristol Mobile Minds Library, a mobile program aimed to bring library resources, including technology, makerspace workshops, and digital and print books on wheels to serve both Bristol communities in Virginia and Tennessee.
• Smithfield, Va.: Restore the Station Bridge at Windsor Castle Park, improving the bridge’s structure and safety for daily park goers and tourists.
• *Pullman, Wash.: Activate the heart of Main Street through new street furnishings and placemaking to create an inclusive, accessible, welcoming, people-centric atmosphere in the historic downtown.
T-Mobile partners with Main Street America and Smart Growth America to select Hometown Grant recipients and applications are judged by their level of detail, community impact, feasibility and other considerations. Each quarter, T-Mobile awards 25 Hometown Grants to small towns with populations of 50,000 or less. To apply for a Hometown Grant, click here.
*Main Street America member community
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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.
