Posted: | January 5, 2017 02:33 PM |
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From: | Representative Robert Freeman |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Proposed Legislation: Main Street (Former House Bill 659) |
In the near future, I will be introducing legislation that amends the Main Street Act to allow the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to grant an additional period of up to five years for administrative costs associated with the hiring of a Main Street Manager, if DCED determines that it is beneficial to the overall success of a community’s participation in the Main Street Program. The Main Street Act was created to provide grants for commercial downtown revitalization efforts, which may include infrastructure improvements, marketing and promoting the established commercial downtown within the Main Street area, leveraging other public and private investment, and addressing social or economic concerns within the Main Street area. Currently, grants for a maximum of five (5) years may be made to support and implement these efforts. Unfortunately, this time period is often too short for a Main Street program to be successful in revitalizing traditional downtowns. My legislation would provide Main Street communities with additional time, which is often vital in fully implementing a revitalization and enhancement strategy for downtown commercial areas. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation. If you have any questions regarding this legislation, please contact Danielle Kline in my office by e-mail at dkline@pahouse.net or by telephone at 783-3815. |
Introduced as HB1450