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Michigan Main Street Solution Center

Michigan Main Street (MMS)

Michigan Main Street Solution Center

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The Michigan Main Street program is committed to providing ongoing support and technical assistance to communities as they seek to revitalize and manage their traditional downtowns and commercial districts. Our focus has been to create a comprehensive collection of best practices, case studies, guides, and videos on the challenges and solutions in the world of downtown and commercial district preservation and economic development. We have organized our solution center into eight categories, with both aspiring and experienced downtown and district leaders in mind, to make finding the right solution to your challenge easy.

Questions on any particular document should be directed to Michigan Main Street Staff (michiganmainstreet@michigan.org). If you don't find what you're looking for here, we encourage you to contact MMS Staff to talk further about your needs.

Getting Started

Follow these steps to start using the Main Street Solution Center today! 

  1. Watch our webinar for an overview of the Top 40 Downtown and District Management Best Practices (Slide Deck | Recording) 
  2. Download the Solution Center Catalog
  3. Use the Solution Center Scorecard in each section of the Catalog to evaluate your organization's performance, strengths, growth opportunities, and areas of need, and to identify the tools and resources that could provide inspiration and help take your organization to the next level
  4. Explore the Solution Center to find the tools and resources that match your organization's development priorities

For a short orientation to the Solution Center, watch the video below.

Business

WHY

Successful businesses are vital to a thriving district. 

KEY FOCUS AREAS 

Business Retention Strategies | Business Recruitment Strategies | Business Plan Competitions | Incentive Strategies | Rightsized Retail | Expansion Exploration | Retail Market Data | Succession Planning | New Business Start Up Package 

RESOURCES

Starting 

  • Economic Vitality Overview
  • Main Street America Economic Vitality Foundation Video and Tools
  • Building and Business Inventory Tool
  • Business Development Toolkit
  • Small Business Journey Map
  • Initiate Business Retention Training 

Evolving and Excelling  

  • Community Driven Business Recruitment (Slide Deck | Webinar Recording)
  • Main Street America Market Analysis for Community Transformation 
  • Main Street America Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Resource Center (Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Guide | Audit Tool | Small Business Survey | Small Business Focus Group | Stakeholder Focus Group | Lifecylce Evaluation | Organizational Matrix)
  • Investment Based Crowdfunding and Community Capital Resources 
  • Small Scale Manufacturing and Maker Economy (Recast City Blog | Made in Place Guide | Webinar Recording)
  • Pop-up Primer - Guide to Hosting a Pop-up Shop

Resources for Supporting Place-based Businesses

  • Michigan Small Business Development Center (Regional Contacts | Webinars | Resources)
  • Doing Good Business (Certified B Corporation and Good for Michigan)
  • Consumers Energy Small Business Insights Tool 
  • American Express Shop Small Program 
  • Michigan Buy Nearby Program 
  • Main Street America Main Street Online Small Business Tool
  • Grow with Google - Training to Grow Your Business or Career 
  • Empower Program by GoDaddy 
Real Estate

WHY

Investment in property development and building rehabilitation is the key to growing the value of place.

KEY FOCUS AREAS

Building Inventory | Available Property Listings | Property Owner Brainstorms | Vacancy Treatments | Building Rehabilitaiton | Property Redevelopment | Upper Floor Renovations

RESOURCES 

Starting 

  • Economic Vitality Overview 
  • Main Street America Economic Vitality Foundation Video and Tools
  • Building and Business Inventory Tool
  • MEDC Developer Toolkit
  • Real Estate Development Bootcamp - CEDAM 
  • Planning and Zoning Basics
  • Quick Sheet: Master Plan to Zoning to Development 

Evolving and Excelling 

  • Economic Development Strategy Guide
  • Guide to Local Economic Development Incentive Policies 
  • Guide to Redevelopment Ready Sites
  • Request for Proposal/Request for Qualification Overview
  • Guide to Issuing a Developer RFQ
  • Zoning Reform Toolkit - Tools to Expand Housing Choice and Supply

General Resources for Development

  • State Land Bank Authority 
  • Historic Preservation Tax Credits
  • MEDC Incentive Programs
Events

WHY 

A well designed event strategy creates vibrancy, builds brand equity, and proves market viability.

KEY FOCUS AREAS

Small, Reoccurring Habit Forming Events | Extended Hours Events | Streamlined Festivals | Micro-celebrations

RESOURCES 

  • Promotion Overview 
  • Main Street America Promotion Foundation Video and Tools
  • Event Evaluation Tool 
Marketing

WHY 

Telling your story and building your brand is essential to district success.

KEY FOCUS AREAS 

Storytelling | Social Media Spotlights | Faces of Places Spotlight | Image Building | Promotion and Advertising Strategies

RESOURCES

Starting

  • Promotion Overview
  • Main Street America Promotion Foundation Video and Tools
  • Community Storytelling Toolkit
  • Asset Mapping (Guide | Template)

Evolving and Excelling 

  • Guide to promoting tourism via Travel Michigan and michigan.org (Explore these specific resources for instructions on how to post your tourism-related amenities: Community Resources for Tourism | Events Worksheet | Small Business/Property Worksheet)
  • Arranging a Site Visit with Elected Officials (Information | Webinar Recording)
  • Advocacy for Main Street Leaders 
  • Tips for Inviting Legislators for Visits - Michigan Downtown Association 
Preservation

WHY

Our buildings are our character. They make us who we are. We must restore and protect our authenticity and uniqueness.

KEY FOCUS AREAS 

Facade and Building Improvement Grants | Community Master Plans and Ordinances | Component Grants | Roof and Building Stabilization | Historic Preservation Standards | Property Owner Education | Historic Designation 

RESOURCES

Starting

  • Design Overview 
  • Main Street America Design Foundation Video and Tools
  • Main Street America Design Guide
  • Standards for Historic Building Rehabilitation - Secretary of Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties 
  • Preserving, Rehabilitating, and Restoring Components of Historic Buildings - National Park Service Preservation Briefs  

Historic Designation

  • Downtown and District Historic Designation Overview 
  • Historic Resource Survey Program
  • Local Historic Districts 
  • National Register of Historic Places 

Preservation Resource Providers and Programs

  • State Historic Preservation Office 
  • Michigan Historic Preservation Network 
  • Certified Local Government Program 
Place

WHY 

Placemaking binds people to place. That connection drives investment.

KEY FOCUS AREAS 

Parklets | Banners | Wayfinding Systems | Streetscapes | Parking Systems & Awareness | Public Art

RESOURCES 

Starting

  • Design Overview 
  • Main Street America Design Foundation Video and Tools
  • Main Street America Design Guide

Placemaking 

  • AARP How to Create a Livable Community 
  • AARP Pop-up Placemaking Toolkit
  • Better Block Project (Placemaking Manual | Website)
  • Enabling Better Places - User's Guide to Zoning Reform
  • Project for Public Spaces - What is Placemaking?
  • Nature Based Placemaking
  • Tactical Urbanism (Guides | Webinar)
  • Winter Placemaking Strategies (Guide | Webinar)

Sustainability 

  • Community Resiliency Toolkit 
  • Michigan State University Sustainable Built Environment Initiative

Tourism

  • MSU Extension - First Impressions: Assessing Your Community for Tourism 
  • Planning for Tourism - Michigan Association of Planning
  • Guide to promoting tourism via Travel Michigan and michigan.org (Explore these specific resources for instructions on how to post your tourism-related amenities: Community Resources for Tourism | Events Worksheet | Small Business/Property Worksheet)

Transportation 

  • Streets as Places a People-First Transportation Toolkit
  • Trail Town Guide

Grant Programs/Funding

  • MEDC Public Spaces Community Places 
  • Michigan Arts and Culture Council 
Capacity

WHY 

A strong, sustainable organization is one that understands and communicates its value to the community.

KEY FOCUS AREAS 

Single-ask sponsorship Campaigns | Investor Relations | Proactive Communication | Diversifying Revenue | Building Volunteer Support | Spotlighting Volunteers

RESOURCES

Starting

  • Organization Overview
  • Main Street America Organization Foundation Video and Tools

Financial Capacity Building

  • Main Street Budget Worksheet 
  • Main Street Campaign Worksheet 
  • Main Street Communication Plan
  • Fund Development Toolkit

Volunteer Capacity Building - Training and Mobilizing 

  • Volunteer Toolkit 
  • Volunteer Management and Recruitment (Slide Deck | Webinar)
  • Value of Volunteer Time 
People

WHY

Grassroots economic development is people driven.

KEY FOCUS AREAS

Mobilizing Leaders and Volunteers | Single-serving Missions | Strategy Driven Focus| Respecting Human Capital | Celebrating Investments of Time | Measuring Impact | Telling Our Story

RESOURCES

Administration and Reporting

  • Tax Increment Financing Act - PA 57 of 2018
  • Downtown Development Authority Fact Sheets (MEDC | MML | MDA)
  • Michigan Downtown Association PA 57 Presentation
  • Overview of PA 57 in Six Easy Steps 
  • Michigan Downtown Association PA 57 Quick View Reporting Requirements 
  • Dept. of Treasury Tax Increment Financing Reporting Requirements
  • Main Street Data Resource Guide
  • Organization Critical Information Inventory

Strategy Driven Focus

  • Main Street America Community Transformation Guide
  • Main Street America Community Engagement for Main Street Transformation
  • Main Street America Market Analysis for Community Transformation 
  • Main Street Four Points Overview (Organization | Design | Economic Vitality | Promotion)
  • Main Street Project Planning Worksheet 
  • Main Street Programming Alignment Worksheet 
  • Main Street Work Plan Template

Board Leadership

  • Main Street Board Training (Slide Deck | Recording)
  • Main Street Board Guidebook
  • Main Street Board Self-Assessment Tool (Part One | Part Two)
  • Board Member and Volunteer Profile 
  • Board Composition Matrix 
  • Main Street Approach Board Four Point Worksheet 
  • Meetings/Parliamentary Procedure
  • Open Meetings Act 
  • Freedom of Information Act 

Downtown/District Executive Director 

  • Main Street Executive Director Manual 
  • Main Street Executive Director Hiring Guide
  • Michigan Downtown Association Professional Downtown Management Certificate Program 
  • Main Street America Institute 

Training and Education

  • Michigan Downtown Association Downtown Management Training Series 
  • Michigan Downtown Association Podcast
  • Michigan Association of Planning On-Site and Build Your Own Workshops
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