Main Street Maryland Program Celebrates 25th Anniversary

#CelebrateMainStreetMD Campaign Launches to Promote the More Than 30 Communities that have Received the Designation

NEW CARROLLTON, MD (June 30, 2023) – Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and its Main Street Maryland partners launched a campaign this week to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Main Street Maryland program. Created in 1998 and managed by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the Main Street Maryland program builds partnerships with local governments, nonprofit organizations, and businesses to strengthen the economic development potential in Maryland’s historic downtown districts and neighborhoods. Through the program, 33 communities have been designated as Main Streets.

“As the former mayor of a designated Main Street Maryland community, I have seen firsthand the positive economic growth fostered by the program in Salisbury and the partnerships and opportunities it created to spur additional redevelopment investment,” said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. “The program has had a similar impact in diverse communities in all corners of Maryland over the last 25 years, improving the quality of life for residents while supporting locally owned businesses, events, and activities that provide visitors with an authentic Maryland experience.”

The department hosted a luncheon for Main Street Managers at the Dough Roller restaurant in Ocean City, a designated Main Street Maryland community, while many Main Street Managers and other local officials were attending the Maryland Municipal League 2023 Summer Conference. To mark the milestone, a commemorative 25th anniversary logo for the program was revealed, and a new social media campaign was also launched to promote Main Street tourism, featuring the hashtag #CelebrateMainStreetMD. The commemorative logo and hashtag were displayed at the department’s exhibition booth at the conference. The department encourages Marylanders to visit the state’s Main Street communities and enjoy their unique charm, local shops and events throughout the summer and use the hashtag to post about it on social media. Promotional items celebrating the anniversary at events and festivals will be shared throughout the year. 

As the state coordinating program of the National Main Street Center, Main Street Maryland is part of a national network of state programs across the country and is authorized to bestow official, nationally recognized Main Street designations for communities in Maryland. To date, neighborhood revitalization and redevelopment activities in designated Main Street Maryland communities have supported approximately 3,800 new and expanding businesses; created more than 14,000 jobs; leveraged nearly $490 million in private investment for more than 5,600 projects, as well as $477 million in public investment for 1,750 projects; and leveraged almost 900,000 hours of volunteer work with a wage value of almost $27.5 million.

To learn more about Main Street Maryland and to see a full list of 2023 events, visit https://mainstreetmaryland.org/.

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