Growing Business, Preserving History.
The Georgia Main Street Program began in 1980 as one of the original pilot state coordinating programs of the National Main Street Initiative launched by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The program launched with five local communities and has grown to serve 100+ communities statewide. Georgia Main Streets represent some of the strongest central business districts in the Southeast.
Fast Facts
Number of Georgia Main Street Cities
Number of Businesses Opening or Expanding in 2023
Number of Net New Jobs Created in 2023
Number of Building Rehab Projects Completed in 2023
Total Amount of Private and Public Investment made in Georgia's Downtowns in 2023
Main Street of the Month
Dahlonega, GA
“Renowned for its history, Dahlonega is a multi-faceted city with many attractions and amenities, making it a gem in North Georgia. Seated in Lumpkin County, Dahlonega is one of the fastest-growing communities not only in the region but also in the nation. Dahlonega has been the recipient of several accolades, including the “The Best Small Town in Georgia” title from Southern Living Magazine in 2023. Dahlonega is proud to be known as the site of the first United States Gold Rush, as well as the home of the University of North Georgia, the military college of the state. With this unique history, comes a large tourism draw. The tourism industry is invaluable to the community, providing jobs and revenue for our small city. The Main Street program in Dahlonega is committed to maintaining this vital asset as well as preserving our residents’ unique history and quality of life. Recent accomplishments from the Main Street program include rehabilitating the historic Head House, creating downtown offices for the Main Street program and Downtown Development Authority, and allowing a first-floor tenant to open a tearoom. The program also increased its façade grant program matching amount from $1,500.00 to $5,000.00, allowing us to facilitate 15 façade improvements since 2022. The Main Street program also recently created the Dahlonega Small Business Improvement Grant, which has allowed us to award five grants to new and existing businesses in just one year. Downtown Dahlonega has seen over 4 million dollars in public/private investment, over $895,000.00 in public improvement projects, and 37 new or expanded businesses in 2023 and 2024. We have had over 700 successful promotional events and logged over 500 volunteer hours in downtown projects in the past two years. Our board, staff, and community are dedicated to maintaining our reputation as a vibrant small town, continually striving to be a great place to visit, live, shop, and invest.” – Ariel Alexander, DDA Executive Director
