On February 19, the Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) held a press conference at the Mississippi State Capitol to educate legislators about the community and economic development successes of the Mississippi Main Street Association and its member communities.
Speakers included Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, Rep. Trey Lamar, Sen. Bart Williams, Rep. Sam Creekmore, MMSA Board President Chris Hinton, MMSA Executive Director Jim Miller, and MMSA Vice President Kelle Barfield.
MMSA has 84 community members, and Main Street representatives from all over the state were in attendance.
Following the press conference, a luncheon was held with legislators at the Capital Club where Main Street directors brought posters of current, publicly-funded revitalization projects in their downtown districts.
"Main Street communities represent an upward economic trajectory in Mississippi," said Chris Hinton, MMSA Board President. "Main Street is a significant part of that through placemaking and revitalization — turning empty buildings and blighted properties into thriving places of business in our historic downtowns."
"We are grateful to have earned the trust of our elected officials at the local, state and national level, and we are highly focused on economic strategies like ARPA investments and new grant programs to continue this momentum and make the most of this critical time in our state coming out of the pandemic," Hinton said.
Since 1993 when tracking reinvestment statistics began, MMSA has helped to catalyze 9,791 new businesses, 1,667 business expansions, 48,267 new jobs, 4,084 rehabilitation projects, 7,754 downtown residential units, 327 new construction projects, and 742 public improvement projects. Over $2.2 billion in public dollars have been invested, along with more than $5 billion in private dollars.
About the Mississippi Main Street Association
The Mississippi Main Street Association is a catalyst for the preservation and economic revitalization of Mississippi’s historic downtowns and traditional commercial districts. Since 1993, MMSA has provided more than $7 billion in public and private re-investment back into Main Street communities.
The Mississippi Main Street Association provides visionary leadership to Mississippi’s most storied places. We foster economic and community development through strategies that promote community engagement, pride of place, and quality design to achieve long-term economic growth. MMSA empowers Mississippi’s local Main Street leaders to create vibrant places and thriving economies by implementing the Main Street Approach — organization, design, promotion, and economic vitality. For more information, visit www.msmainstreet.com.
