The 2014 National Main Streets Conference in Detroit will celebrate, learn from and share ideas to help empower the people who make Main Street work! Main Street communities across the nation, from small downtowns to large-city neighborhoods share similar challenges and successes. The Main Streets Conference is the place to share them all!
The Main Streets Conference is looking for sessions, tours and workshops that:
- Look at new ways to solve persistent problems
- Share experiences—good, bad and ugly—to help other Main Streets succeed
- Offer new perspectives on current trends
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Provide examples of the projects and
The conference tours and sessions will be our greatest tool in telling Michigan’s story to a national audience. Presenters and featured projects do not have to be from Main Street communities. We’re simply looking for creative and unique community-led efforts. So please, throw out your ideas and tell your stories!
If you or someone within your network is interested in leading a session, panel or tour, now is the time. Click here to learn more, and to find a complete list of session requirements.
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Interested in becoming the next Michigan Main Street Associate Level community? The annual application time is just around the corner! Mark these due dates on your calendar:
Applications Due: November 1, 2013
Applications must be recieved by 4 p.m. at the Michigan Main Street Center at the MSHDA office. Packages should be addressed to:
Laura Krizov
Michigan Main Street Center @ MSHDA
For standard mail:
PO Box 30044
Lansing, MI 48909
For overnight mail (UPS/FedEx):
735 E. Michigan Avenue
Lansing, MI 48912
All traditional downtown or neighborhood commercial districts are eligible to apply for the Associate Level.
For additional information on the benefits of the Associate Level program, visit our website: www.michiganmainstreetcenter.org. If you have questions regarding the application, please contact Laura Krizov at 517-241-4237 or at krizovl@michigan.gov.
 Two newly named Michigan Main Street (MMS) communities have began their Select Level Services with a Baseline Assessment this past Spring. The Baseline Assessment is the best example of the Main Street philosophy celebrating the unique assets and attributes of each community and building a road map to help move them forward.
This three-day intensive service recruits the efforts of the National Main Street Center in interviews, focus groups and to assess assets in the community to find opportunities for growth through a shared vision with the Main Street program. A strong Chamber of Commerce, full calendar of events and engaged Historic Preservation partners are just some of the assets MMS finds in local communities that turn into sustaining partners for the communities' Main Street efforts.
This service culminates in a visioning session that reaches out to all members of the community to identify the strengths, challenges and future of their downtown. All materials gathered will be provided to the community in the form of a final report that will give individualized recommendations as they begin to develop their local program.
The Baseline Assessment is just one of several services offered through the MMS program. For a full list of services, visit the Michigan Main Street website at www.michiganmainstreetcenter.com.
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 Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Boyne City over the weekend of July 12th for the 10th Annual Boyne Thunder!
Many powerful and stunning boats came from all over the country to take part in the event. According to Boyne City Main Street Director Hugh Conklin, the number of participating boats has steadily increased, averaging about 30-40 until last year, when it jumped to 65. This year, over 80 participated!
On Friday, some of the boats were on display along with classic cars and entertainment at Boyne City's Stroll the Streets! Michigan Main Street Manager Laura Krizov said, "It was so great to see that many people on the streets. There was so much activity and you could feel the vibrancy of the entire downtown."
On Saturday morning, the boats divided into three groups and departed at separate times. Each group did a parade lap to give spectators a spectacular view before they headed out to Lake Charlevoix and into Lake Michigan.
Congratulations, Boyne City, on a successful event and 10 years of Main Street! Keep up the great work.
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Manistee is on a roll! Multiple façade projects are underway in their downtown this summer and one hidden jewel has been uncovered! The building, located at 335 River Street, received design services from the Michigan Main Street Center/State Historic Preservation Office (MMSC/SHPO) at MSHDA and a local façade grant from the Manistee DDA/Main Street program.
The building, originally built in 1885, was a good example of a simple, one-story Victorian commercial building of its time. Historic photographs show a large storefront with recessed entrance, storefront cornice with brackets and a brick upper façade with a simple corbelling detail at the parapet.
 Major alterations made to the building during the 1960s had removed the original storefront and cornice. The upper façade was also covered with plywood, hiding any other hint of the historic building underneath.
 Last year, the new owner began rehabilitation work on the interior of the building and, through some investigative work on the façade, found the original brick upper façade. Design Specialist Kelly Larson met with the owner to discuss the façade and provided a schematic design of improvements. The recommended possible improvements included removing all the plywood, repairing and painting the brick masonry, installing a new storefront cornice and painting the existing storefront.
 The building now has a new business and several other buildings around it are undergoing major façade improvements as well. Congratulations to Manistee!
Design services are available through the Michigan Main Street program at no cost to downtown property owners. It's just one of the benefits Michigan Main Street communities receive as Selected or Master Level program members. For more information on how design services can assist in the rehabilitation of historic property in your community, contact your local Main Street manager or visit our website at michiganmainstreetcenter.com.
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