MMSA Hosts Legislative Day at the Capitol
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Press Conference at Mississippi State Capitol
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The Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) hosted its first Main Street Legislative Day at the Mississippi State Capitol. Special guests included Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, who made remarks as the organization shared its economic impact on the state economy and highlighted ongoing downtown revitalization efforts.
“Local Main Street Associations across the State are making our communities a great place to live and raise a family,” said Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann. “These thriving, yet quaint communities are showing the world that Mississippi is a great place to visit, and it exhibits the pride our residents have to be Mississippians.”
“Dollar for dollar, Main Street has proven to be one of Mississippi’s most successful programs at bringing new jobs and businesses to our downtowns,” said Speaker of the House Philip Gunn. “Main Street helps attract visitors to our state and provides quality of life for Mississippi residents, which in turn, drives Mississippi’s local economies.”
In 2022, Mississippi Main Street’s 48 designated communities helped generate 495 new businesses, 841 new jobs, 56 business expansions, and catalyzed $82 million in private investment, and $160 million in public investment in Mississippi’s Main Street districts. In addition, there were significant projects completed in the downtown districts in 2022, including 183 rehabilitation projects, 79 public improvement projects, 1,817 downtown residential units, and 24 new construction projects. Read more.
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By Thomas Gregory, MMSA Executive Director
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Nearly 30 downtown revitalization professionals from Mississippi recently attended the Main Street Now Conference in Boston. While we enjoyed networking with other downtown leaders from across the country, our hearts and thoughts were pulled back home with the news of the tornadoes that struck Rolling Fork, Amory, and other Mississippi communities.
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With the news of Mississippians rolling up their sleeves and getting to work to help their neighbors or neighboring communities, it reminded me of the value of our work in bringing people together to improve the quality of life of the places we call home.
As I wrote in a column recently published by The Magnolia Tribune, creating quality of place is a big part of what Main Street is about. But at the end of the day, Main Street is really an economic development organization. The activities that create quality places also generate new business opportunities, create new jobs, and build a local economy that is ripe for public and private investment.
When a community takes a step back due to a natural disaster or losing a key industry, grassroots organizations like Main Street come together to pick up the pieces and rebuild. Time and time again, Main Street has brought people together to make our hometowns better places to live, work, and visit. We do this work because we care about the people in our community and the places where we gather.
The work we do to support our Main Street communities is more important today than it has ever been. And when the time is right, we look forward to helping those affected by the tornadoes rebuild and recover to be stronger, more resilient communities.
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Main Streeters from Mississippi attended
the Main Street Now Conference in Boston
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Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area
funds Community Branding Project
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The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area (MHNHA) and the Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) have partnered on a “Grow, Revise & Share” community branding grant project to benefit the Main Street communities in the Hills region of Mississippi.
The grant project is supported by the MHNHA and each community visit includes a day and a half technical visit by community branding specialist Ben Muldrow of Arnett Muldrow. During the visit, Muldrow meets with community stakeholders to learn about each community and then develops (or refreshes) a full branding system with strategies to help capture the economic potential of new people coming to the community.
The 23 Designated Main Street communities in the Hills region that are receiving the branding service include: Aberdeen, Amory, Baldwyn, Batesville, Booneville, Byhalia, Columbus, Corinth, Hernando, Holly Springs, Kosciusko, Louisville, Nettleton, New Albany, Okolona, Pontotoc, Ripley, Saltillo, Senatobia, Starkville, Tupelo, Water Valley, and West Point. Read more.
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Marketing Training in New Albany set for April 27-28 |
Main Street Promotion Training focuses on positioning the downtown or commercial district as the center of the community and hub of economic activity, while creating a positive image that showcases a community’s unique characteristics. Our 2023 Promotion Training is supported by a grant from the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area.
Promotion Training this year will focus on marketing your downtown as a destination, and Ben Muldrow of Arnett Muldrow and Associates will be our featured speaker. Ben will lead attendees through asset development exercises that will lead to creating themed itineraries to attract more visitors to your downtown. Ben will also share tips and successful strategies for social media engagement as well as marketing best practices for your organization.
This training is appropriate for Main Street directors and board members, Promotion committee members, city officials, tourism professionals, and others interested in marketing and promoting your historic downtowns and districts. For full details about Promotion Training, including an agenda, accommodations, and extra activities, please visit the MMSA website.
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MMSA Launches New Video Series
on the Main Street Approach
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MMSA has launched a new video series to help educate and explain the Main Street Approach to downtown revitalization. The video series include an overview of the Main Street Approach and then a deeper dive into Promotion, Design, and Economic Vitality, as well as individual community success stories that focus on each of the points. You can find all of these videos as well as more resource publications on our new media page on the MMSA website.
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For more information about upcoming trainings and events, please visit our website.
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Welcome to our new Associate Members:
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Historic Brandon Main Street
Lumberton Main Street Association
Noxubee County Historical Society
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Thank you to the following returning Investors:
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Keystone
Mississippi Power
Pillar
Regions Bank
Cornerstone
Hancock Whitney
Foundation
Renasant Bank
Promoter
City of Greenwood
Neel-Schaffer
Advocate
Cooperative Energy
Trustmark Bank
Sustainer
Atmos Energy
Belinda Stewart Architects
Dean Jim Rosenblatt
Ken P'Pool
The First Bank
The Citizens Bank
MSU Stennis Institute
PPM Consultants
Renovations of Mississippi
Supporter
Gregory & Associates
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2022 Economic Impact in Mississippi
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In 2022, Main Street communities generated the following economic impacts
in the State of Mississippi:
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495 new businesses
56 business expansions
841 new jobs created
$82 million in private investment
$160 million in public investment
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| 79 public improvement projects
183 rehabilitation projects
24 new construction projects
1,817 new downtown residential units
42,255 volunteer hours
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MMSA is proud to partner with these Annual Investors who financially support our work!
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Missisippi Main Street is on a Mission!
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The mission of the Mississippi Main Street Association is to be a catalyst for the preservation and economic revitalization of Mississippi’s historic downtowns and traditional commercial districts. The Mississippi Main Street Association provides visionary leadership to Mississippi’s most storied places. We foster economic and community development through strategies that promote community engagement, pride of place, and quality design to achieve long-term economic growth. MMSA empowers Mississippi’s local Main Street leaders to create vibrant places and thriving economies by implementing the Main Street Approach — organization, design, promotion, and economic vitality.
#MSMainStreet #WeAreMainStreet #MainStreetisMississippi
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