Three Maine Communities Awarded Loans For Key Downtown Renovation Projects
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Hallowell, Me – October 9, 2019 – MDF’s Maine Downtown Center (MDC) is pleased to announce it will partner with the Main Street America program to provide no-interest loans to three Maine communities for highly visible improvements to buildings and storefronts. Over the next three years, Gardiner, Biddeford, and Skowhegan will use fifteen small, interest-free loans through the Historical Commercial District Revolving fund.
“We are grateful to the National Main Street Center and the 1772 Foundation for their support of Maine’s first statewide Main Street historic preservation revolving loan fund,” said Anne Ball, MDC’s Program Director. “This fund will provide loans for small businesses and property owners to invest in their historic downtown facades. These visible downtown improvements will drive economic development and further investment in these nationally designated Main Street communities.”
In 2016, MSA partnered with the Texas Main Street Program to launch the Façade Improvement Pilot Program, generously funded by The 1772 Foundation, Inc. This pilot program brought $80,000 in façade improvement funds to two Main Street America communities in Texas: San Augustine and Texarkana. The success of that pilot program has allowed MSA to launch a second round of revolving funds in Texas and to expand our revolving fund into more Main Street America communities. Maine is the second state to partner in this program.
“Working with our Texas partners, we have seen the impact of façade improvement loans have in producing significant, positive changes in Main Street districts over these past three years,” said Patrice Frey, President and CEO at Main Street America, “We are excited to expand this work with Maine Downtown Center and continue to see the economic and visual impacts in Maine downtowns.”
Established in 1999, MDC currently has 10 nationally accredited Main Street Maine programs and seventeen state-designated Maine Downtown Affiliate programs. MDC is committed to supporting and building a sustainable economic future for its communities. Since its founding, 222 jobs have been created, 444 businesses started, and 1,030 buildings rehabilitated in Main Streets across the state.
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Contact:
Anne Ball, Maine Downtown Center aball@mdf.org 207-415-5770
Lindsey Wallace, Main Street America lwallace@savingplaces.org 312-610-5605
Brittanii’ Batts, Main Street America bbatts@gmail.com 312-610-5606
ABOUT Maine Downtown Center
Established in 1999, the Maine Downtown Center serves as the state coordinator in Maine for the National Main Street Center, utilizing the Four-Point Approach® to help communities statewide revitalize their historic downtowns. This almost 40-year-old approach has a reputation as one of the most powerful economic development tools in the nation for vibrant, healthy downtowns resulting in job creation, business growth, building rehabilitation and cultural enhancement. Learn more at mdf.org.
About Main Street America
Main Street America has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for more than 35 years. Today it is a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, Inc., a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Learn more at mainstreet.org.