Vibrant Communities Grant

Vibrant Communities Grants are available from Georgia Council for the Arts.  These grants, available for up to $5,000, are for organizations in counties in which no one received a Project, Partner or Arts Education Grant from GCA earlier this year.  (A list of eligible counties is in the guidelines).  Local governments (cities, counties and local authorities), non-profits, schools, colleges and libraries are eligible to apply to support arts projects such as murals, performances, festivals, exhibits, etc.  Guidelines can be found here:  http://gaarts.org/grant-funding/apply-for-a-grant/available-funding 
Deadline is Aug. 31, 2017. 

Introduction to the Vibrant Communities Grant
The Georgia Legislature allocated funds to Georgia Council for the Arts specifically to increase the reach of arts grants across the state. These grants are intended to fund arts programs in as many counties as possible. Some examples of projects that could be funded by the Vibrant Communities grant are concerts, theatre productions, class fieldtrips, art exhibits, murals, art festivals, or art classes. Please note: The Vibrant Communities grant is a reimbursement grant. This means that if you are awarded the grant, you have to start spending money on the expenses and then request reimbursement. You will not receive the grant funds before you incur expenses.

Timeline for Vibrant Communities:
August 31, 2017-              Deadline for application
Late September, 2017-    Applicants are notified whether or not they received an award
October 15, 2017-             Grantees may begin working on projects
Mid-October, 2017-         Deadline for grantees to return grant contracts and required forms
Mid-Oct. 17′-May 18′-     Grantees may submit a Request for Reimbursement form
June 1, 2018-                    Project must be completed and Final Report is due.

For more information, contact Tina Lilly, GCA Grants Director at tlilly@gaarts.org or
404-962-4827.

Do you have an outstanding volunteer, small business owner or board member that you’d like to recognize?  Have you completed a great project that you’d like to see recognized by other downtown professionals?  Nominations are now being accepted for the 2017 Georgia Downtown Awards Program. The purpose of these awards is to highlight, honor and promote the outstanding achievements of Georgia’s local downtown development and revitalizing organizations. The submission deadline is June 5th and winners will be recognized at a special reception and presentation on August 23, during the Georgia Downtown Conference in Columbus, Georgia.

SCHEDULE
June 5, 2017-  Nomination Deadline
May 1, 2017-  Nominations Open
July 7, 2017-  Finalists Notified of Results
August 23, 2017-  Awards Ceremony and Presentation at Georgia Downtown Conference

CELEBRATION AND RECOGNITION OF WINNERS
Awards recipients will be announced to the public at the Georgia Downtown Conference Awards Ceremony at the Springer Opera House in Columbus, Georgia on the afternoon of August 23, 2017. Winners of cash awards categories will also receive a check for $500 donated to the local downtown development organization for the purpose of continuing its efforts in revitalizing the downtown.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible for submitting a nomination, the organization must be a member of the Georgia Downtown Association. If your organization is not a member, but is interested in learning more about membership, call 678-686-6256, visit www.georgiadowntownassociation.org, or email jeidson@georgiadowntownassociation.org

View Nomination Form

Don’t miss a chance to apply for a scholarship to attend the 2017 Main Street Now Conference in Pittsburgh, PA! 

In an effort to encourage continued growth and development of downtown revitalization programs throughout the state, the Georgia Downtown Association (GDA) will award TWO deserving downtown professionals with a registration and travel scholarship.  The scholarship will take the form of reimbursement for conference registration, airfare, and lodging costs associated with the trips, with a maximum reimbursement of $1,000.  Scholarship funds are made available by funds raised from the Silent Auction during the annual Georgia Downtown Conference.  Applications must be received electronically by GDA no later than March 1, 2017.  Apply Now! 

Join us on January 24, 2017 at 10:00 am for a special webinar presentation by Laurie Rowe and Rebecca Shirley on Public Relations on Main Street: Tourism, Lifestyle & Economic Development Media Outreach.

In this seminar, Laurie and Rebecca will offer insights and tools needed for a successful PR and Media Relations program. From the conceptualization of story ideas and editorial content to developing effective pitching skills and reporting published results, you’ll learn to garner valuable media coverage for your downtown shops, restaurants and businesses, as well as festivals and special events.

Laurie Rowe
Over the past 25 years, Laurie has held senior-level management positions in hotels, resort real estate sales and destination marketing organizations, including four years as a director of sales for the State of Georgia’s tourism division. In 2006, Laurie created Laurie Rowe Communications, Inc. (LRC), to put her skills and experience, as well as her extensive network of industry experts, to work for tourism organizations of all sizes and budgets. Laurie has served on the board of directors for numerous industry associations and was honored at the 2013 Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference with the Larry Allen Tourism Leadership Award, recognizing an individual who demonstrates excellence in leadership skills and abilities.
http://www.lrc-media.com
laurierowe@lrc-media.com

Rebecca Shirley
Rebecca is currently the Director of the Dahlonega DDA and Vice President of the Georgia Downtown Association. She has been working in at the intersection of the public and private sectors since 2007 and has had the opportunity to work on a variety of economic development, marketing, social media and public relations projects – most recently with Dahlonega being awarded as a Great American Main Street City.
http://dahlonegadda.org
Rebeccashirley@dahlonegadda.org

REGISTER HERE!

Main Street 201: Investment Priorities for Georgia’s Small Towns and Main Streets

In 2016 the Office of Downtown Development introduced a new track of educational workshops titled Main Street 201. The idea behind Main Street 201 was to give existing Main Street Managers, Staff and Board Members educational opportunities that provide a deeper dive, or a specific focus, beyond what is taught in Main Street 101.  While our Main Street 101 topics and agenda will stay similar from year to year, our Main Street 201 topics will change.  In 2017 we will be hosting one Main Street 201 workshop in Athens, GA. This event will be held in conjunction with our Main Street 101 workshop so that new managers or board members that wish to attend both events can do so in one location (keep in mind that a separate registration is required for both workshops).

In partnering with the Georgia Conservancy, and DCA’s Office of Planning and Environmental Management, our 2017 Main Street 201 workshop will focus on “Investment Priorities for Georgia’s Small Towns and Main Streets” along with ideas and concepts that will help your community plan for success. Next year’s workshop will include components that are both presentation and hands-on activity focused.  In the morning sessions the Georgia Conservancy will illustrate for attendees how the research of 65 Georgia small towns revealed 7 major design and planning fundamentals, common to the thriving towns’ strengths.

In the afternoon DCA’s Office of Planning and Environmental Management, will discuss what the local Main Street Program’s role is in the creation and implementation of each community’s local comp plan development. During this session presenters will explore how local programs can work to integrate individual components of their community’s comp plan into their own downtown strategic plan and the value that good planning can play in your downtown’s success.

Seating is limited. Reserve your seat today!
Click here to view the full agenda

Explore Georgia is now accepting nominations for the 2017 list of 100 Plates Locals Love and we need your help to ensure that our Main Street communities’ favorite local dishes are represented. Nominations for your favorite local flavor will be collected online in October and evaluated by a panel of judges, who will select the final list of 100 Plates Locals Love.  The list will be published in 2017 on the Explore Georgia website and in the official Georgia Eats Culinary Guide, available next spring. Please be aware that nominations for your favorite local dish are not considered as votes. Individuals can submit several nominations, but multiple nominations of the same dish will not guarantee a place on the final list.

To see what made the list in 2016, check out Explore Georgia’s list of 100 Plates Locals Love, and follow Explore Georgia’s 10 Flavor Tours to the state’s standout restaurants for barbecue, seafood, desserts and more. Order a copy of the current Georgia Eats Culinary Guide, browse the Explore Georgia Dining page, and follow Culinary Explorer Jennifer Hill Booker for more trip ideas and delicious destinations.

Nominate your favorite plate using the following link!

Last Wednesday the Office of Downtown Development hosted a webinar to help our Classic Main Street Programs prepare for the upcoming Annual Assessment process. If you weren’t able to watch our webinar live here are a few quick takeaways:

  • Annual Assessments are due by close of business on December 31, 2016
  • Each program’s assessment and supporting documentation should be submitted through your local program’s Dropbox folder.
  • If you don’t have access to your communities Dropbox folder please reach out to our staff so that we can get you connected
  • As of today you should have copies of the following in your Dropbox folder:
    • January – July monthly board meeting agendas and minutes
    • A copy of your most current work plan
    • A copy of your most current budget

As promised we are enclosing copies of both presenters presentations as well as copies of the supporting documentation featured during the presentation. You can view a recorded copy of this webinar here on our Georgia Main Street Program YouTube channel.

Download Jessica Reynolds’ presentation
Download Catherine Edgemon’s presentation
Perry Main Street Work Plan
Perry Main Street Community Transformation Strategies
2016 Annual Standards for Accreditation

For follow up questions you can contact the Georgia Main Street staff atmainstreet@dca.ga.gov or Catherine Edgemon, Perry Main Street Program Manager, at catherine.edgemon@perry-ga.gov

We are excited to announce that Uptown Columbus, Inc. has been selected as a Semi-Finalist for the 2017 Great American Main Street Award.  The Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) recognizes accredited Main Street Programs throughout the country whose local initiatives in preservation and revitalization have helped to transform their community’s historic district.

Located on the banks of the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia, Uptown Columbus includes both the central business district and the riverfront. In addition to beautiful historic architecture, abundant public art, a vibrant weekly market, and many shopping, dining, fitness, and entertainment options, Uptown Columbus boasts an urban whitewater rafting course!

While Uptown Columbus, Inc. has served as downtown Columbus’ premier revitalization organization since 1983, they became an official designated Georgia Main Street community in 2009.  Since then, they have seen over $74 million in capital investments along with the completion of 59 rehab projects and have increased downtown housing by 29%. Please join us in congratulating Uptown Columbus, Inc. on being named a 2017 GAMSA Semi-Finalist.

Washington (May 23, 2016) – The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced today that Dahlonega, Georgia has been chosen as a 2016 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winner. The City of Dahlonega and the Dahlonega Main Street program were recognized at the 2016 Main Street Now Conference held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

With a charming and walkable downtown, first-rate restaurants, and unique shops featuring the best of Southern Appalachian hospitality, downtown Dahlonega is a top destination in the Southeastern United States. Located just 65 miles north of Atlanta and the site of the first U.S. Gold Rush, more than a million visitors travel to Dahlonega (pop. 6,000) every year. With the Main Street approach as its guide, Dahlonega Main Street uses a combination of tools, including preservation grants, design guidelines and promotion strategies to preserve downtown Dahlonega’s strong sense of place while also expanding economic development opportunities.

“Downtown Dahlonega is a sparkling example of how careful planning, small business support and historic preservation can combine to create a thriving downtown,” says Patrice Frey, president and CEO of the National Main Street Center. “Its downtown district, art galleries, restored theater and courthouse stand out in North Georgia, making Dahlonega a truly distinctive shopping and dining destination and a charming place to call home.”

“Dahlonega’s economic success has been built upon our precious historic architecture and resources,” says Dahlonega Mayor Gary McCullough. “Local leaders, partners and stakeholders continue to plan and work diligently to preserve and promote our historic village as an economic center of North Georgia.”

In its 15 years of operation, Dahlonega Main Street distinguished itself as a vital downtown partner in several ways. When a fire devastated several businesses in 2014, the organization led the effort to assess the damage, create an action plan and relocate displaced businesses and 40 employees. In partnership with the Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce, local and state government agencies, and the University of North Georgia, Dahlonega Main Street has facilitated 180 building rehabilitations, 108 new business openings and a reduction in retail vacancy rates from 20 percent in 2000 to 2 percent today.

The other two 2016 GAMSA winners are Shaw District in Washington, D.C., and Audubon Park in Orlando, Fla. Dahlonega will be the fourth community in Georgia, behind Thomasville, Rome and Milledgeville,  to receive the prestigious GAMSA designation.

To learn about GAMSA and previous winners, visit http://www.preservationnation.org/mainstreet/awards/gamsa/past-winners.html For more information about Dahlonega Main Street, visit www.dahlonegadda.org and find them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

ABC COMPETITION ANNOUNCES THE EIGHT FINALIST COMMUNITIES IN THE $10 MILLION PRIZE CAMPAIGN

These eight communities were awarded $100,000 to continue implementation of their revitalization plans; top three winners will be announced in April 2017

The America’s Best Communities (ABC) competition, a $10 million campaign that has inspired small towns and cities to pursue innovative solutions for revitalization, today announced its eight finalists at the ABC Summit in Durham, North Carolina. Each of the eight finalists received a $100,000 prize grant from competition sponsors Frontier Communications, DISH Network, CoBank and The Weather Channel. This funding award will empower the finalists to bring their new economic revitalization strategies to life.

The eight finalists stretch across the country: Chisago Lakes Area, Minnesota; Darrington/Arlington, Washington; Huntington, West Virginia; Lake Havasu City, Arizona; Madison, Indiana; Statesboro, Georgia; Tualatin, Oregon; and Valley County/Meadows Valley, Idaho were selected as finalists and will now continue their journey toward earning the competition’s $6 million in top prizes.

“America’s Best Communities prize campaign challenged small towns and cities across the country to dream big and pave their own way to a brighter future,” said Maggie Wilderotter, former CEO of Frontier Communications. “More than 350 communities answered the call, and now eight remain in the running. In these determined, hardworking communities, people from all walks of life came together to successfully re-imagine their future and reinvigorate their community. And in the end, we all win, because the wealth of creative ideas coming from this contest will be implemented and shared with communities across the country.”

In the competition’s quarterfinal round, 50 communities — from the pool of over 350 participants — were awarded $50,000 in seed money to develop a Community Revitalization Plan and each was paired with a major corporation that served as a strategic adviser as part of the competition’s Adopt-a-Community Program. From this class of 50 quarter-finalists, the 15 with the best plans — those with the most innovative ideas being effectively executed — were named semifinalists this past January.

This week, the 15 semifinalist communities gathered in Durham for the ABC Summit, each pitching their proposal to a panel of expert judges and outlining why their plan has the greatest potential to jump-start redevelopment and generate sustained revitalization.

In a surprise announcement, Frontier also awarded $25,000 to each of the seven communities that did not advance into the finals. This means all of the communities will return home with funding to continue implementing their plans.

“By providing a hand up to communities in need, this competition has helped small towns and cities lift themselves up by their bootstraps and live their own American dream,” said Vince Gill, spokesperson for the competition and country music legend. “Music has always provided people with an escape from the difficulties they face. That’s why I’m proud to be working with America’s Best Communities to help our neighbors in rural America not just escape their challenges, but tackle them head on.”

Frontier, DISH, CoBank and The Weather Channel teamed up to sponsor America’s Best Communities to inspire communities to transform their local economies and improve the lives and livelihoods of their citizens. By crowd sourcing new ideas to revitalize rural America, this campaign has helped identify innovative solutions that can serve as road maps to economic revival for other small and medium size communities across the U.S.

In April 2017, the top three communities making the largest impact and fostering long-term growth will be selected as the grand prize winners. The first-place community will receive $3 million and the second-place community $2 million, and $1 million for third.

“These eight finalist communities have demonstrated the ability to think long-term and create a path forward to make their ideas a reality, an approach that we value at DISH as we serve our customers, many of whom reside in small towns and rural communities,” said DISH EVP Brian Neylon. “This competition is helping to invigorate communities, injecting new resources and energy where needed, and we look forward to seeing these plans become reality.”

“The value that rural America brings to every American is deeply under-appreciated,” said CoBank CEO Bob Engel. “The high quality of life in this country has everything to do with the 15 percent of people who call rural America home. Whether it is safe, nutritious, affordable and abundant food, or reliable and affordable power, everyone in this country owes a debt of gratitude to rural America. So it is deeply gratifying to see the great ideas for revitalization and economic development that have been generated by the ABC campaign.”

“These communities have been through a lot, from overcoming economic decline to recovering after natural disasters to combating unemployment. It has been inspiring to see local leaders and residents of these communities put those challenges behind them and instead focus entirely on how they can best restore and grow their hometown,” said Dave Shull, CEO of The Weather Channel.

To explore the communities’ revitalization strategies and for additional information on the competition, please visit www.americasbestcommunities.com.

The City of Tybee Island is one of ten Georgia communities which will receive federal sub-grants totaling more than $90,000 from the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Historic Preservation Fund to conduct historic preservation projects.  The funding awarded to the City of Tybee Island is to conclude the city-wide historic resources survey update which began last year with the FY2015 Historic Preservation Fund Grant.  This first phase of the survey has identified approximately 845 historic resources, which is nearly 40% of the structures on the island.  Completion of this comprehensive survey will further the efforts for planning with preservation in mind and strengthen the support for future historic districts and individual listings for the National Register.  Mayor Jason Buelterman states, “We are honored to receive funding to update the City’s Historic Resources Survey with this grant cycle.  This project furthers our commitment to historic preservation on Tybee.  With this survey, we are following through with a top priority stakeholders identified within the city’s Master Plan and adding to our planning strategies for the resident’s quality of life, as well as the visitor’s experience.”

For the FFY 2016 grant cycle, the preservation projects include historic resources surveys in five other Georgia communities, development grants for a National Historic Landmark house museum, a historic theater, and a historic cemetery, and one predevelopment grant to a battlefield site.  Grant projects are to be completed by September 2017.

The grants are provided annually through the Historic Preservation Fund of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service and are administered by the Historic Preservation Division (HPD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Each year, Georgia’s 94 Certified Local Governments (CLGs) are eligible to apply for these matching 60% federal/40% local grants. To be eligible to become a federal Certified Local Government, a city or county must have passed a preservation ordinance and have established a historic preservation commission.

“The Certified Local Government program is one of our most important community stabilization and revitalization tools,” said David Crass, HPD Division Director.  “By becoming a CLG,  neighborhoods take control of their own economic destiny, and gain access to HPD technical expertise and assistance, which helps them protect the resources that make them unique.”

Crass added “In 2013, we announced the addition of development (bricks-and-mortar rehabilitation) as an eligible activity for this grant program, and had, through last year, funded five applicable projects.  In this 2016 grant cycle, we are pleased to be able to fund three more development projects, and we look forward to working with those communities in the coming year.”

The City of Tybee Island takes pride in preserving the community, commerce, and culture of Georgia’s northernmost barrier island year-round for its citizens, merchants, and visitors.  The city became a CLG in 2014 due to the support and dedication of elected officials and involved stakeholders to protect and preserve the character of the island.  Since 1982, three National Register Historic Districts, a multiple property district, and fourteen individual listings have been listed.  Additional nominations are currently being considered.  These listings and other preservation efforts such as financial incentives and assistance offered through the Development Authority/Main Street Program and the Historical Society, the pursuit of local historic districts, and collaboration among community stakeholders enforce the community’s commitment to preservation, quality growth and enhancements, and education.

From time to time, as a step to help supplement our regular monthly webinar series, we will be offering special pre-recorded webinars on design, preservation and economic development based topics.  To kick off this initiative we have uploaded a new pre-recorded webinar to our Georgia Main Street YouTube channel that we hope you will enjoy. Last Friday we had the pleasure of collaborating with Keyes Williamson, ASLA, and Madie Fischetti, ASLA, of the Athens based Jaeger Company for a special webinar titled “Outside the Storefront.”

During this presentation Keyes and Madie explore three different types of downtown historic landscapes including streetscapes, parks, and cemeteries. Highlighting best practices from three of our very own Georgia Main Street communities, the presenters discuss the planning process for treatment of these landscapes, from concept to implementation of design.  This webinar will help take you away from the typical facade rendering and show what Main Street program’s can do for their downtown when we step outside the box and think beyond the storefront.

Learn more about our presenters Keyes Williamson and Madie Fischetti:

Keyes Williamson, is Principal at The Jaeger Company and has over 25 years in the design and maintenance of public spaces. Keyes brings experience managing landscapes at historic sites, including Monticello and Old Salem, and directing the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum into his approach to landscape design and preservation planning. Keyes has been involved in a wide range of construction and planning projects for a range of clients, including universities, federal agencies, and municipalities. Keyes has also worked on a variety of preservation studies, including cultural landscape inventories, reports, and preservation plans.

Madie Fischetti serves as Senior Landscape Architect/Project Manager at The Jaeger Company and has over 14 years professional design experience. Madie is responsible for a number of the firm’s downtown design efforts including master planning and streetscape design projects. Madie has assisted in numerous projects involving public participation and conducting community and user group input sessions. In addition to being a landscape architect, Madie has a Certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Georgia, allowing her to assume leadership roles in historic landscape projects such as Cultural Landscape Reports and sensitive site design at historic sites.

By Walter C. Jones Morris News Service – updated Monday, February 15, 2016 – 7:29pm

ATLANTA | The 2-year-old, Athens-based craft brewer Creature Comforts Brewing Company picked up another award Monday when it was named one of Georgia’s Small Business Rock Stars.

It was among five companies singled out from 69 applicants across Georgia nominated by state and local business-assistance agencies seeking to highlight firms that benefited from government loans, advice and grants.

Creature Comforts started in April 2014 with five employees and has grown to 13 full-time workers plus 25 part-timers. Various publications featured its launch, and one of its brews earned a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival. It is the only Georgia brewery listed among the Beer Advocate’s top 200 beers, and the company has even earned recognition for historic preservation.

But getting off the ground in the first place was a big challenge.

“In order to be a successful local business, you need local support from consumers, the state, from your local government, and we’re very fortunate to be in a place where we are able to get a lot of that in Athens-Clarke County,” said Chris Herron, the company’s CEO.

Banks turned the founders away, but various programs of the city and state made the company’s launch happen — and at lower interest rates than commercial lenders, he said.

“For a person born and raised in Georgia, it’s exciting to see all that you do for small business,” the Stone Mountain native told the members of the Georgia Economic Developers Association and staff of the Georgia Department of Economic Development during the awards luncheon.

The department and association began the contest in 2013 to celebrate their success stories. The judges heavily weigh economic impact and use of state, federal and local business-assistance resources.

“If the company is outstanding and they didn’t reach out at all to any resources, they got a zero in that category,” said Mary Ellen McClanahan, the director of the department’s small business project.

Representatives with state, local and federal agencies have made efforts in recent years to learn what programs all agencies provide so that a business contacting one agency can get help from all of them, according to McClanahan. Improved coordination has paid off for the rock star winners as well as other small businesses, she said.

The other winners for this year include D&J Plastics of Quitman, Reformation Brewery of Woodstock, IACT Health of Columbus and ViziTech USA of Putnam County.

Creature Comforts isn’t done growing. This week, it installs tanks to double its production. To expand further will require another facility, but Herron said the company has a certain loyalty to Athens for the help it got initially.

“We’re tied to Athens because we love it. We want to stay here,” he said.

Follow Walter Jones on Twitter @MorrisNews and Facebook or contact him at walter.jones@morris.com.

Statesboro

Georgia city semifinalist in America’s Best Communities competition

Lauren Colley
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The city of Statesboro has advanced to the semifinals of the America’s Best Communities competition, Frontier Communications announced Wednesday. Statesboro is home to Georgia Southern University and is one of just 15 communities nationwide to advance to this stage.

The three-year competition is sponsored by Frontier Communications, DISH, CoBank and The Weather Channel, and was launched to encourage revitalization in small towns and cities.

As a semifinalist, Statesboro could potentially win major funding to implement its proposed revitalization plan that focuses on the “Blue Mile”— the corridor that connects Georgia Southern University to the city’s downtown.

“Great communities don’t just happen. They are the result of people working together for the common good. After achieving this milestone, it is clear Statesboro isn’t just a great community — it is one of America’s best,” said Jaclyn Cason, general manager for Frontier Communications in Statesboro.

Statesboro and the other 14 semifinalists will present their proposed plans at the America’s Best Communities Summit in April, where eight finalists will be announced and awarded $100,00 to launch their revitalization projects.

The community whose projects make the largest impact will be selected as the grand prize winner and awarded $3 million. Second place will receive $2 million, and third place will receive $1 million.

“One in six of us calls rural America home. These communities are the backbone of our country,” said Vince Gill, the country music great who has served as a spokesperson for the competition. “America’s Best Communities has inspired new hope in rural America by providing a hand up, not a hand out. It’s helping our neighbors in small communities lift themselves up by their bootstraps and live their own American dream.”

Statesboro was one of 50 communities selected from a pool of more than 135 community applicants to advance to the second phase of the contest last year.

 

Join us on Tuesday, January 12th for our annual Georgia Main Street State of the Program webinar. During this webinar we will be reviewing for you things that your community will need to know to be successful in 2016. This will include the roll out of the new 2016 Annual Standards for Accreditation as well as new information about training and the monthly reporting process in the new year. This webinar will be recorded and published on our Georgia Main Street YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/gamainst for later viewing if you are unable to participate live.

Register Here

The National Main Street Center, Inc., has announced that seven U.S. cities have been selected as demonstration sites to implement its refreshed approach to comprehensive community revitalization and preservation-based economic development: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Milledgeville, Georgia; Biloxi, Mississippi; Detroit, Michigan; Gary, Indiana; Lexington, Kentucky; and Miami, Florida. The program is supported by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

“We are grateful to Knight Foundation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation for their generous support as we roll out a strengthened approach to commercial district revitalization,” said Patrice Frey, president and CEO of the National Main Street Center. “Our updated methodology incorporates lessons we’ve learned in our decades of working with communities of all sizes and we are confident these pilot projects will demonstrate that our approach continues to be highly effective in breathing new life in our country’s historic downtowns and commercial districts.”

Each community, chosen after a competitive selection process, will benefit from recent strategic improvements to the National Main Street Center’s revitalization methodology that for 35 years has helped transform historic downtowns and urban neighborhoods nationwide. Local leaders will receive 12 to 18 months of free organizational capacity building and hands-on technical assistance from national experts on how best to involve the community in revitalization efforts, plan and executive long-term strategic action, and effectively measure the impact of those efforts.

“Providing people with spaces to connect and participate in neighborhood life is essential to creating the type of cities where people want to live and work,” said Carol Coletta, Knight Foundation vice president for community and national initiatives. “The initiative will do just that by working with cities to create more vibrant downtown hubs and engaging residents as change agents in this transformation.”

Originally launched as a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1980, the National Main Street Center pioneered an incremental, volunteer-driven strategy to help flagging downtowns counteract booming suburban growth. This novel approach was in stark contrast to the urban renewal projects that were destroying commercial districts and neighborhoods all over the country. By tapping two important community resources, citizen participation and its older and historic buildings, the Main Street Approach has helped reinvigorate America’s historic downtowns and commercial districts in cities and towns across the country.

More information on the pilot program can be found at http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/.

The Rome Historic Preservation Commission approved changes to the facades at two Broad Street buildings on Wednesday. The changes proposed for the Tillman Insurance building at 424 Broad St. will take the building back to a more traditional historic appearance.

Changes at 202 Broad St., expected to become the next home for Cevian Design Labs, will create a more contemporary look.

Preliminary work at the Tillman building uncovered original iron columns that were part of the facade years ago. Architect Bill Jones asked the HPC to consider changes to the entrance door. The committee said if he and Denise Tillman want to make changes to what was originally submitted, they would have to come back next month with a new request.

Architect Mark Cochran won approval from the HPC for accordion-style doors at 202 Broad St., similar to those at the nearby Dark Side of the Moon. The preservation group said the doors must open to the inside and not project out into the sidewalk.

The HPC also rejected a request from Cochran to put a vertical sign promoting his company on the second floor of the facade. HPC guidelines do not permit signs on the second floor of Broad Street buildings.

Throughout the past few years, the village of Porterdale has worked hard to rebuild its community, addressing issues surrounding vacant, substandard or under-utilized houses and commercial buildings.

Those efforts will be recognized by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, which will designate Porterdale a PlanFirst Community for the next three years, beginning Jan. 1.

Brian Johnson, Director of the Office of Planning and Environmental Management for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs sent an email to Village Manager Bob Thomson congratulating the village on the designation.

“Your PlanFirst designation will recognize your community’s hard work and successful comprehensive plan implementation,” he wrote, “and will allow Porterdale to take advantage of various incentives offered through the program.”

Representatives from the DCA visited the village in September and met with the mayor, city council and city manager.

“They looked at the historic gym project, the kayak launch, Yellow River Park and the pocket parks,” said City Manager Bob Thomson. They also looked at “Main Street, the historic preservation, the improved housing stock as a result of the increased activity in code enforcement.”

Many of those projects grew out of the village’s 2012 Urban Renewal Plan, which Thomson said was the result of a community-wide effort by businesses elected officials and community leaders. The project was facilitated and instituted by the Vinson Institute of Government.

After showing Thomson and the city council what had been accomplished, Mayor Arline Chapman told them about the two Porterdale’s — the one inhabited by people who are buying houses to restore, and the other where people are living in poverty and may never be able to own a home.

“We can never turn our back on those people,” she said, referencing the latter group. “How can we help them buy homes?”

One of the ways was to pursue obtaining Community HOME Investment Program (CHIP) funds is a state program that would help the city address the needs of affordable housing development and can be used to provide down payment assistance or homeowner rehabilitation funding to eligible low-income and moderate-income households.

And while economic development was included in the plan, the most immediate issue was bringing housing up to livable standards. That meant enforcing municipal codes. Some houses had fallen into such disrepair, they had to be condemned. Others, many owned by outside landlords, were required to meet standards that made the property livable and safe, including, when needed, installing heat and running water.

At a council meeting this summer, it was announced that the last uninhabitable house in Porterdale met city code standards.

Thomson said that since adopting the plan, the city had met or achieved 80 percent of the objectives and goals set in 2012.

After reviewing all that the city had accomplished, the PlanFirst representatives, Chapman said, “applauded us.”

Porterdale is one of only seven communities that have been designated a PlanFirst Community. In addition to Porterdale, they are Dublin, Columbus, Lula, Roswell and Gwinnett and Liberty counties.

PlanFirst communities are able to take advantage of programs that include:

• statewide recognition for community achievement;

• Annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application eligibility, normally only available every other year;

• access to reduced interest rate on certain Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) state loans; and

• bonus points on applications for DCA programs including Employment Incentive Program (EIP), Downtown Development Revolving Loan Fund (DDRLF) and Redevelopment Fund.

According to Johnson’s email, Porterdale will be recognized across the state as a community “that possesses a vision of its future and maintains an active strategy for implementing that vision.”

Representatives from the DCA will be scheduling a visit to the village before the end of the year to make a public presentation of the designation at an upcoming council meeting.

In 2012, the Village of Porterdale adopted an Urban Redevelopment Plan that identified the need to rebuild infrastructure, such as sewers, in some neighborhoods; adopting municipal and property maintenance codes and developing partnerships with local groups, such as Habitat for Humanity and the Public Housing Authority, to repair homes; create a downtown business district; establish a historic preservation commission; and create enterprise and opportunity zones through a downtown development authority.

The DCA is working on plans for a “Plan First Day” at the Capitol in January. The DCA will officially present the award to Porterdale then.