MDF’s Anne Ball, Senior Program Director for Maine Downtown Center is featured in this Bangor Daily News article on the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem initiative. Houlton and nine other Maine communities are participating with guidance and support from MDF’s Maine Downtown Center team in partnership with the national Maine Street America organization.

Read the full article.

CHICAGO, IL (May 16, 2022) – Main Street America announced today that Heart of Biddeford in Biddeford, Maine has received the prestigious Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA), which recognizes communities for their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization. The 2022 GAMSA designations, sponsored by The Hartford, were presented at the opening plenary for the Main Street Now Conference in Richmond, VA.

Selected by a national jury of community development professionals and leaders in the fields of economic development and historic preservation, Heart of Biddeford is being recognized for their vibrant small business environment and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“Biddeford proves that equity and inclusion are the future of the Main Street movement,” said Main Street America President and CEO, Patrice Frey. “Their work with Black-owned businesses, formerly-incarcerated people, English Language Learners, and other groups has enriched the culture of the district and brought lasting economic change.”

For many years, Biddeford was colloquially known as “Trashtown” due to the presence of a large incinerator in the downtown mill district. The area was known for the heavy garbage trucks that regularly rolled into town and the unhealthy smoke that filled the air. Today, downtown Biddeford is known as a quintessential New England town. From a 4^th generation bakery and the oldest diner in Maine to a thriving parks program and engaging annual festivals, Biddeford offers all the pleasures of coastal living with a growing array of amenities, cultural attractions, green space, and business opportunities.

Revitalization work led by the Heart of Biddeford organization began in 2004 with a focus on creating opportunities to bring people downtown through events and beautification initiatives. Becoming an accredited Main Street America program (2007), leading the Downtown Master Planning Process (2009-2011), and successfully advocating for the closure of the incinerator (2012) accelerated the organization’s efforts. With the support of forward-thinking city council and staff, redevelopment of the historic mill district spaces into residential and commercial spaces contributed to the positive transformation of downtown. Today the district’s 4.5% commercial vacancy rate is an additional point of pride and drastic improvement compared to 20.7% in 2006.

Heart of Biddeford’s continued success is made possible through their commitment to creating places of shared prosperity, equal access to opportunity, and inclusive engagement across all four points of the Main Street Approach. Notable examples of this commitment include partnering with veterans’ organizations to host parades downtown, hosting monthly meet-ups for female entrepreneurs, collaborating with Black Owned Maine to increase the organization’s capacity to incubate and promote Black-owned businesses in the district, and raising the inaugural Pride flag in the city.

“This is a huge honor for Heart of Biddeford, and we accept this award on behalf of thousands of volunteers, our municipal, cultural and service partners, and the business community,” said Delilah Poupore, Executive Director at Heart of Biddeford. “While we hope to become more inclusive and sustainable over time, we are very proud of our efforts to innovate during challenging times and to work in a connected way toward a common vision.”

Additional points of pride that have earned Heart of Biddeford GAMSA status include its commitment to historic preservation and community-based efforts that share the full story of their town and reinforce the sense of place that makes Biddeford unique. Heart of Biddeford’s partnerships with former mill workers and “Secret Spaces, Hidden Places” mill district tours ensures that future generations understand and appreciate the city’s rich heritage. Concurrently façade improvement grants and small-scale development projects have invested in its future by transforming once neglected spaces into attractive places to live and work. 

“We are so proud of Heart of Biddeford for earning a GAMSA,” said Anne Ball, Program Director at Maine Development Foundation . “They are an open and welcoming community and embrace their past while welcoming newcomers to their wonderful historic mill town. They are an exceptional statewide leader, and we learn from them every day.”

HALLOWELL, MAINE — January 27, 2022  — The Maine Downtown Center, a program of Maine Development Foundation (MDF), is thrilled to announce awards for three standout projects and individuals that have made the biggest impacts in our Main Street and Affiliate communities in the past year. The awards were given out during a virtual ceremony this morning.

“These awards highlight the resilience, ingenuity, and creativity of individuals, small business owners, and community organizations who are keeping our downtown economies – and morale – vibrant despite challenges on many fronts, “says Anne Ball, Senior Program Director for MDF’s Maine Downtown Center (MDC). “These efforts are shining examples of inclusivity and quality of place that make Maine’s historic downtowns so magical.”

The Maine Downtown Center (MDC) team gathered nominations for the awards during a competitive process, and proudly announce the following winners:

• Downtown Hero Award: Heather Pouliot is being recognized for herthree years working tirelessly as Board President of Augusta Downtown Alliance, navigating the group through a complete organizational rebrand, the conversion of Water Street to two-way traffic, and establishing the organization’s first-ever signature event.
• Downtown Project Award: Friends of Woodfords Corner is being recognizedfor working with the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and their “Imagine People Here Project”, as well as the City of Portland, to install a demonstration project around the intersection of Deering Avenue and Revere Street with the goal of calming traffic flow and creating a safer space for pedestrian crossing.
• Innovation Award: Rockland Main Street is being recognized fortheir youth engagement work, conducted with the critical support of their Main Street Fellow Maggie Hirshland. Their approach included extensive outreach and collaboration with community members and organizations that had not previously been involved with Main Street.

“When moving back to Maine, I vowed to give back to my community and make it somewhere I would be proud to live and call my home,” says Heather Pouliot, winner of the 2021 Downtown Hero Award. “Please come visit downtown Augusta and see the growth that we have experienced over the last few years!”

The Maine Downtown Center Awards serve as inspiration statewide for communities and individuals working on downtown revitalization. They recognize outstanding efforts in communities which are part of MDF’s Maine Downtown Center program.

Another cause for celebration during the event was the announcement of Monson joining MDC as our 14^th Maine Downtown Affiliate community. Over the last year, the town participated in a rigorous application process that culminated last week in a virtual site visit with members of the MDC team and advisors from other MDC member communities. A 2019 Entrepreneur Pilot Project community, Monson has developed a pop-up cottage shed for artists and makers to rent, co-working space in the town hall, and is looking to leverage MDC expertise and technical training to develop recreational tourism opportunities and a green belt connecting outdoor spaces, parks, and public art.

The event also featured 21 reflections on 2021, updates from our second cohort of Main Street Fellows, and remarks from MDF CEO Yellow Light Breen on the critical role of Maine’s downtowns. Event participants participated in short breakout discussions with key community members who are leading work on critical issues such as diversity, equity, and inclusion; leadership; and the value of a local currency program.

HALLOWELL, Maine – January 12, 2022 – The Maine Development Foundation (MDF)’s Maine Downtown Center is accepting applications for grant funding through the National Park Service (NPS) REvitalizeME Gen 2 program. A total of $660,000 is available for historic preservation projects that will foster economic development in 22 downtowns that are current National Main Street or Maine Downtown Affiliate designated programs.

“It’s wonderful that Maine has received this funding again and other downtown projects will benefit from it like we did,” says Michael Miclon, Executive Director, Johnson Hall, Gardiner, Maine, one of six Maine projects awarded funds through the 2020 REvitalizeME round of grants. “The grant enabled us to repair our historic windows and masonry and really close the gap on our 5-year capital campaign for Johnson Hall, which is a downtown community hub and significant historic theater.”

The program provides much-needed financial capacity to encourage infrastructure development and leverage private sector investment increasing the commercial, educational, residential, or civic use and value of the historic properties. Projects may include physical preservation projects for historic sites, architectural/engineering services, and technical assistance. Funding in the form of subgrants will be awarded through a competitive program that will be administered by MDF in partnership with Maine Historic Preservation Commission.

“This National Park Service program not only supports historic preservation, but also fosters economic development in rural communities,” said NPS Deputy Director Shawn Benge. “By funding the rehabilitation of historic properties, rural areas across the country will be improved and strengthened.”

The application deadline is 5:00pm on March 1, 2022. The grant application, list of eligible communities, and requirements are available at https://www.mdf.org.

REvitalizeME Gen 2 is supported through a grant from the Historic Preservation Fund, Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program, as administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior.

Click here to access the MDC newsletter dated Friday, December 3, 2021.

Our latest newsletter includes information about the 2021 MDC Annual Awards, online resources for small businesses, upcoming webinars, and more!

Click here to access the MDC newsletter dated Friday, November 5, 2021.

Our latest newsletter includes information about REvitalizeME Gen2 Funding, Small Business Saturday, Main Street Fellows, upcoming trainings and events, and more!

Click here to access the MDC newsletter dated Friday, October 8, 2021.

Our latest newsletter includes information about the power of collaboration, Maine Preservation and 1772 Foundation matching grants, T-Mobile Hometown Grants, the seven types of rest, upcoming trainings and events, and more!

Click here to access the MDC newsletter dated Friday, September 3, 2021.

Our latest newsletter includes information about the America Walks’ Community Change Grant, recruitment for the 2021/22 Main Street Fellows program, upcoming trainings and events, and more!

Click here to access the MDC newsletter dated Friday, August 6, 2021.

Our latest newsletter includes information about a the Historic Commercial District Revolving Fund, recruitment for the 2021/22 Main Street Fellows program, upcoming trainings and events, and more!