Downtown Montgomery is Alabama’s newest Main Street community

Yesterday, before his State of City address, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed announced Downtown Montgomery will become Alabama’s newest Main Street community.

“The Main Street Alabama program represents a transformative opportunity for our city, a chance to revitalize and preserve our historic downtown district. Becoming a Main Street Alabama community is not simply a matter of adopting a new name or logo; it signifies a profound commitment to preserving and revitalizing the heart of our city.”~ Steven L. Reed, Mayor, City of Montgomery

Main Street designation brings many benefits

The new designation brings to the Capital City a wide range of benefits including:

• Comprehensive network of resources + expertise
• Support from across the state to enhance the city’s ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown Montgomery

“Main Street Alabama is proud to work with Downtown Montgomery as our newest designated district. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with them on their revitalization journey. With its rich history and vibrant community, Montgomery is a perfect addition to our network of thriving downtowns. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this dynamic city and look forward to working together.”  ~Mary Helmer Wirth, Main Street Alabama State Coordinator

Main Street America coming to Birmingham in 2024

Downtown Montgomery is becoming a part of a national movement.

How? According to the latest 2022 numbers, the Main Street America program has accomplished the following:

• Catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,688 historic buildings
• Facilitated the creation of 29,174 net new jobs
• Generated $6.2 billion in local reinvestment
• Helped open 7,657 net new businesses
• Leveraged 1,528,535 volunteer hours

On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, it generated $24.07 of new investment back into their downtown communities.

The timing is also opportune for Montgomery because Birmingham is hosting the more than 1600 accredited Main Street programs across the country for its national conference on May 6-8, 2024.

Downtown Montgomery is the 32nd designated Main Street in Alabama

Downtown Montgomery will also be joining the ranks of  31 designated communities and districts in Alabama.

They are:

• Alexander City
• Anniston
• Athens
• Atmore
• Birmingham’s 4th Avenue Business District
• Birmingham’s Woodlawn District, 
• Calera
• Centreville
• Columbiana
• Decatur

• Demopolis
• Elba
• Enterprise
• Eufaula
• Florence
• Foley
• Fort Payne
• Gadsden
• Heflin
• Jasper
• Leeds
• LaFayette
• Marion
• Montevallo
• Monroeville
• Opelika
• Oxford
• Russellville
• Scottsboro
• South Huntsville
• Talladega
• Wetumpka 

Want to learn more about Main Street Alabama and its efforts to revitalize the communities across the state? Visit their website at MainStreetAlabama.org.