DHCD Announces New Main Street Maryland Community Designations
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development has introduced a new three-tier structure for the Main Street Maryland program in order to help more communities reach national accreditation status.
Main Street Maryland has been transforming communities across the state
since 1998. As the official coordinating program for Maryland by the National Main Street Center, the program is housed at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and focuses on strengthening Maryland’s downtown commercial districts through local investment and revitalization.
On July 1, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development changed its Main Street Maryland designation system to include three tiers. The change makes the Main Street Maryland program more inclusive and better supports Designated communities to achieve accreditation by Main Street America.
The new tiers are as follows:
Designated Main Streets are the top-tier, accredited programs with the National Main Street Center. These communities will use the full Main Street ApproachTM to support long-term, local revitalization. Designated communities show a strong commitment to:
- Economic development
- Preserving local historic and cultural resources
- Building inclusive volunteer support and partnerships
- Raising financial and in-kind support from local government and other partners
Aspiring Main Streets have been working in the Main Street ApproachTM and are ready to pursue designation. They complete a two-year training program offered by Main Street Maryland which will help them achieve accreditation with the National Main Street Center.
Connected Main Streets are not yet eligible for designation under the Main Street Maryland program, but want to use one or more pillars of the Main Street Approach to improve their community’s economy.
Under this new reorganization, Main Street Maryland now has 29 Designated Main Street communities, six Aspiring Main Streets and seven Connected across the state.
Main Street Maryland communities continue to drive local economies across the state and have seen 200 new businesses opened, 933 full- or part-time jobs created, and 327 properties improved in Main Street districts in just Calendar Year 2024 alone.
Learn more about Main Street Maryland and how it could help your community at mainstreetmaryland.org.
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