Emporia Main Street is continuing to see what other Main Street organizations are doing across the United States with an eye towards more community enhancements locally.
Staff members attended the Main Street Now Conference this past week in Birmingham, Alabama, presenting and gathering information to continue to make Emporia a stronger community.
Executive Director Casey Woods says after attending last year’s conference, they had received a lot of information to bring home, including a revamp of its “Start Your Own Business Class.” Emporia Main Street wanted to shift to some of the different business styles they were seeing propagate through other areas of the country.
As a whole, Woods says they sat down last year and talked about ways to better utilize investment as capacity builders within the local community and have seen changes based on that.
Emporia Main Street also started the HYPE team to be able to more information out through multiple channels about what’s going on throughout the community.
Also at the national conference, Emporia Main Street took part in 1-on-1 sessions with larger syndicators of New Market Tax Credits, which could mean millions of dollars of reinvestment for the area for targeted developments. Emporia Main Street Staff also visited with USDA officials, the Department of Energy, HUD, and the Department of Transportation.
Woods says Emporia Main Street worked with a variety of individuals from different Main Streets, Economic Development, and Community Development Organizations that were a part of BETA testing to get small businesses direct access to experts. Woods says this allows them to market more effectively or have access to those resources available to be successful.
Main Street was pleased with the packed turnout it had for its presentation on redevelopment activities. Woods says it means a lot that other communities want to pick their brains while also talking to other individuals from throughout the country who are doing unique or innovative things that Emporia can implement to make the community better.
Woods says there is a difference in learning things at the national conference via other educational opportunities. Woods says a series of things learned can be implemented rapidly and long-term relationships that have a monetary basis and help bring money into the community.
