LOCALLY POWERED, MEANINGFULLY TRANSFORMED
Every community has a story, and many happen in the heart of the downtown district. Look around and you’ll find treasures you never expected along the thriving main streets of villages and cities all across our state. From charming small-town offerings like New Rockford’s Opera House or Watford City’s Outlaws Bar & Grill to our larger communities’ vibrant shopping, entertainment and diverse dining, a lot is happening on main street North Dakota.
Vibrant community centers are a fundamental element of workforce development. North Dakota’s Main Street initiative provides community leaders with direct access to tools and resources to capitalize on their community’s strengths and make sound planning decisions. These efforts help create vibrant communities that attract and retain the 21st-century skilled workforce North Dakota needs to compete and succeed in a global economy.
The Four Pillars of the Main Street ND Initiative
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Main Street Initiative Grant Programs
EDA STATEWIDE PLANNING GRANT - PUBLIC SPACE INITIATIVE
The U.S. Economic Development Administration is awarding $1 million to the North Dakota Department of Commerce through EDA’s Statewide Planning program.
Placemaking activities are a multi-faceted approach to planning, designing, and managing public spaces, and these community assets are critical to economic resilience and workforce attraction and retention across the state of North Dakota. Placemaking as an economic development strategy, also called place-based economic development, is the practice of using a community's public amenities to make economic progress. Architectural designs, Infrastructure planning, implementation and final architectural plans will not be funded with this grant.
The goal in the EDA Placemaking Planning grant is the planning and design necessary to enhance the statewide attraction of businesses, promotion of economic activity, and the retention and attraction of talented workers, thus strengthening the economic resiliency across North Dakota communities as we recover from the economic impacts Covid-19. Community-driven placemaking matters in creating healthy, prosperous communities where people want to live, work, play, and learn. The planning and design efforts that result from this proposal will generate economic benefits and is a complementary strategy to aid workforce development.
TIMELINE: Awards made October 15; projecting plans and funds must be completed by October 1, 2023.
If you have any questions, contact Maria Effertz Hanson or Melinda Padilla Lynch at communitydevelopment@nd.gov.
EDA Public Space Initiative - Placemaking Planning Grant Webinar
Who: Community Leaders, Legislatures, Regional Councils, EDC’s, JDC’s, City and County Leaders, and Tribal entities
What: Answering FAQ about the EDA Grant.
When: July 12th, 2022 10:15-11:00 am CST
Why: To provide more ideas and tools to community that are considering to apply for the EDA Public Space Initiative.
Educate what is placemaking… placemaking with workforce and economic resiliency focus.
If you have questions that you would like addressed during the webinar, please email them to: communitydevelopment@nd.gov prior to the event.
Placemaking Planning Grant Fact Sheet
Grant Resources
Rural America Placemaking Toolkit
Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households
Water and Environmental Programs
VIBRANCY GRANT PROGRAM
The Main Street Initiative (MSI) Vibrancy Grant Program supports local efforts to increase community vibrancy by providing seed funding for a small project that will build momentum and inspire additional projects. Community vibrancy improves quality of life, helps attract and retain workforce, and enhances community pride.
Any community in North Dakota could benefit from adding a spark of activity and energy to a part of your community. Whether your community wants to add public art, activate underutilized space, or promote walking and biking, this program may interest you.
By starting small and supporting an initial community vibrancy project, this grant program can inspire others in your community to engage and contribute to community vibrancy, improving quality of life for visitors and residents.
2022 Timeline: Grants may be awarded in multiple rounds.
Round 1 - Open January 14, 2022 • Close – March 31, 2022
- AWARD announcement May 1, 2022
Round 2 - Open -October 31, 2022 • Close – December 20th, 2022
- AWARD announcement January 25, 2023
PARTNERS IN PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM
The Main Street Initiative (MSI) Partners in Planning (PiP) grant program supports non-profit organizations and/or local governments in completing a comprehensive plan or economic development/diversification strategic plan. This grant program is intended to empower communities to proactively plan their futures, seek smart, efficient infrastructure development and offer a healthy, vibrant environment for residents and visitors.
MAIN STREET COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN
To be considered a Main Street Champion Community and qualify for favorable terms on some state grant applications, your Main Street community point of contact will need to fill out and submit this form. If you have questions about this process please contact Tracey Miller.
Artists on Main Street Program
North Dakota Main Street Initiative (MSI) launched the first round of the Artists on Main Program in 2021 and is excited to announce the program will be expanded to several communities over 2022-2023! This accelerated program offers technical assistance and funding to develop and install art to one North Dakota MSI community. This unique opportunity consists of creative community development training, one-on-one technical assistance for artists and community leaders from placemaking experts, and financial support for up to five small projects that address local challenges affecting the vibrancy of their community. The program guidance and solicitation for letters on intent from North Dakota communities will be released in the Spring of 2022!