Main Spotlight: Breaking Barriers to Acquiring Commercial Properties
Creating real change in business ownership starts with local communities leading the way, backed by strong partnerships and collaborations.
Photo Credit: Pejepscot Historical Society (Brunswick, ME), a Grants to Green Recipient
As part of the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta’s Grants to Green program, Maine was designated one of two national replication sites. Anne Ball of the Maine Development Foundation explains how $1.2 million in grants enabled 27 non-profits to cut energy consumption, slash costs, and reinvest in historic properties along Main Streets across the state.
Maine’s authentic downtowns are a tribute to what New Englanders call “Yankee ingenuity” — they have a penchant for inventive yet practical solutions to challenges. Take the Pejepscot Historical Society located in Brunswick, a Main Street Maine community. They oversee the Pejepscot Museum, Skolfield-Whittier House, and the nationally known Joshua Chamberlain Museum, all located in downtown. Like many small non-profits, the Pejepscot Historical Society struggled with excessive energy costs that diverted resources from programming and limited the organization's capacity to make capital improvements. Maine has one of the oldest building stocks in the country and some of the highest and most volatile energy costs in the country.
So when they spotted the Grants to Green program, offered through the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, they jumped at the opportunity. The Pejepscot Historical Society secured a $10,000 grant to conduct an energy audit and make energy efficiency improvements including general air sealing, insulation, repair and preservation of basement storm windows, in addition to addressing drainage issues around the bulk head of the Pejepscot Museum and the Skolfield-Whittier House. These upgrades make a measurable difference in the Society’s utility consumption and enable the organization to maintain the historical integrity of the buildings.
Bath, ME. Photo Credit: Jeff Robinson
Pejepscot Historical Society is one of 27 non-profits in Maine to benefit from a total of $1.2 million awarded in Maine through the Grants to Green program. Early evaluation shows that sites are reducing their energy use by 17% and saving an average of $4,000 annually.
It all started in 2013, when the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta put out a nationwide call for proposals to replicate their successful Grants to Green program. A trio of Maine organizations joined forces to answer the call. The Maine Community Foundation, Maine Development Foundation’s Maine Downtown Center, and Efficiency Maine submitted a proposal focused on saving energy in downtown non-profit owned historic buildings that would:
1) Strengthen the link between the natural and built environment in Maine’s historic downtowns to make them more environmentally responsive and ecologically conscious
2) Strengthen Maine’s downtowns by building local leadership and community capacity to support sustainable green initiatives
3) Provide incentives for grantees, and pre-approval on incentives/eligible measures
4) Ensure access to technical support
5) Offer guidance on project monitoring and evaluation
In 2014, Maine’s application was chosen as one of two national replication sites along with the Community Foundation for Greater Dubuque in Iowa. Grants to Green Maine awarded its first grants in June of 2014 and completed the program in March of 2017. Overall, a total of 32 institutions received grants for assessments (energy audits) and funded 27 projects for implementation of energy-saving measures based on a recent audit.
Grantees included a diverse group of historic downtown buildings: libraries, theaters, churches, schools, commercial and residential properties. The types of non-profit organizations were equally diverse, including childcare centers, museums, theaters, cultural centers and social service organizations, including a homeless shelter.
Photo Credit: The Lincoln Theater, built in 1867, located in Damariscotta, ME. The Theater was awarded a Grants to Green grant to add insulation and air sealing to keep the theater cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, thus reducing the associated energy costs for the organization year round.
Energy efficiency improvements were varied. (SEE FIGURE 1) One of the biggest successes of the program is that 100% of the grantees said that participating in the grant program has helped their organization plan for long-term energy management. (SEE FIGURE 2). This finding is critical to the long-term sustainability of Maine’s downtown and Main Street historic buildings.
Green Champions Program
As part of the grant agreement, the grantee sites were required to have a Green Champion to oversee and promote the “green” changes implemented at the site. The champions participated in statewide Green Champion meetings to receive technical assistance and engage in peer learning with other participating sites. They had excellent attendance and were self-reported as very useful by the attendees. The champions were expected to share the project information and lessons learned with their local board members, stakeholders, and customers/clients. The Green Champions were also expected to assist with entering energy data into Energy Star Portfolio Manager (an EPA tool used to track energy savings). The program evaluation included baseline and final surveys with questions to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the champion. Those grantees with more engaged Green Champions had more ease with the grant program (specifically the data collection) and made more presentations to internal committees or board of directors about “green building operations” as a result of the grant.
Skowhegan, ME. Photo Credit: Main Street Skowhegan
Sustainability
The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta was eager for the replication sites to sustain the program beyond the original three years. The Maine team announced earlier this month that the Maine Community Foundation will continue the program and expand their current historic preservation fund to include energy efficiency. The fund, now known as the Belvedere Historic Preservation and Energy Efficiency Fund, will provide grants up to $20,000 for historic preservation, energy audits and energy efficiency implementation projects including energy saving measures based on a current audit. Enough funding has been secured for this effort for an additional three years. The Maine Downtown Center at the Maine Development Foundation will again be partnering with the Community Foundation to provide technical assistance and promote the program to Main Street communities around the state. The program is not at the scale of the original Grants to Green program, but energy efficiency audits and upgrades of any size provide a huge benefit to the organizations and the downtowns. If an organization has an audit, can budget for the recommended energy upgrades over time, and make incremental changes to the building to save on energy costs, it is a huge win. A small project like window sealing or insulation may have a modest price tag and a short payback period, all resulting in energy savings. The Maine Downtown Center is excited to continue this modern, Yankee ingenuity-driven work in downtown historic buildings and Main Street communities and looks forward to documenting continued energy savings in the future.
About the author:
Anne G. Ball joined the Maine Development Foundation in 2012 as a contractor to the Maine Downtown Center where she oversaw a number of major projects including Healthy Maine Streets and Grants to Green Maine. In 2017, she became the Program Director of the Maine Downtown Center which serves as the statewide Coordinator for the National Main Street Program.
Related News and Stories
Main Spotlight: Building Partnerships for Main Street Success
Learn how Main Street America's work with the DOT's Thriving Communities Program is supporting transformative efforts with community partners like the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
Main Spotlight: How to Rehabilitate a Historic Building
Becky Axilbund, Executive Director at Main Street Middletown, MD Inc., shares lessons learned from their renovation of two downtown buildings.
Staff Spotlight: Celebrating Historic Preservation on Main Street
For Preservation Month, Senior Program Officer Lisa Mullins Thompson explores why preservation matters and how Main Streets can celebrate and protect their historic assets.
Nevada, Iowa © Main Street America
Main Spotlight: Stories of Hawaiian Heritage in Vancouver, Washington
At Fort Vancouver in Vancouver, Washington, Native Hawaiians played a critical role in the success of the Hudson Bay Company. Today, Vancouver’s Hawaiian history and heritage plays a crucial role in efforts to reenergize the city’s historic downtown.
Main Street and Preservation Policy: Understanding the Advisory Council on Historic Preservations Report on Federal Historic Preservation Standards
Understanding the Advisory Council on Historic Preservations report on federal historic preservation standards.
Toccoa, GA © Steph Maley
Watch: How Delta Dirt Distillery is Adding Spirit to Main Street Helena, Arkansas
In this video, learn more about the Williams’ family story, how the business is helping to revive downtown Helena, and the impact they’re having on a national level.
Main Spotlight: Building Upon a Civil Rights Legacy in Albany, Georgia
Learn how Albany, Georgia, recognizes their civil rights legacy and supports the African American community today.
Community Spotlight: Flood Recovery in Barre and Montpelier, Vermont
Kathy LaPlante shares her experiences visiting Vermont communities during their recovery from devastating floods.
© Tripp Muldrow
Main Spotlight: Getting Ready for the Unexpected with the Main Street Disaster Preparedness Toolkit
In honor of National Disaster Preparedness Month, we are providing some practical steps that Main Streets can take to prepare for the next, inevitable disaster.
© Adog
Main Spotlight: How Main Streets Can Preserve Historic Neon Signs
Learn the historic and cultural significance of neon signs, and strategies that Main Streets can use to preserve these unique assets.
A Match Made on Main Street: Channeling Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Dollars to Small-Scale Deals
Main Street America is leading a coalition urging that the EPA make available the GGRF funds for adaptive reuse and location-efficient projects because of the substantial greenhouse gas emissions reduction offered by such developments.
Main Spotlight: Celebrating and Preserving a Culture of Possibility in Allapattah, Miami
On May 9, the National Trust for Historic Preservation released its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2023 which included a cultural district located within a designated Main Street America community.
Miami, FL © NTHP
Main Spotlight: Mill Girls and the Iconic New England Mill
From 19th-century mill girls to Maine's mill redevelopments and the regional manufacturers of tomorrow, learn about the amazing history and promise of the New England mill.
Biddeford, ME © Heart of Biddeford
Main Spotlight: The Black Cowboy-Archeologist of Folsom, New Mexico
Learn the unique history of Folsom, New Mexico, and how they are working with New Mexico MainStreet today.
We Can’t Build Our Way To Net Zero
This article was published on January 10, 2023, by Next City, a nonprofit news organization focused on socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable urban practices.
Program Spotlight: Preservation, Salvage, & Reuse with the Minnesota GreenCorps Program
Learn how Rethos, the Coordinating partner for Minnesota Main Streets, has partnered with Reuse Minnesota and the Minnesota GreenCorps Program to encourage community-led preservation.
© Rethos
Main Spotlight: Four Steps Toward More Resilient Main Streets
Four recommendations that Main Street districts can apply right now to start preparing for the next natural disaster.
Main Spotlight: Is the Historic Tax Credit program a good opportunity for your Main Street?
Learn how Main Streets can partner with the National Trust Community Investment Corporation to take advantage of the Historic Tax Credit.
© Troy Thies
Main Spotlight: Sign Regulation
Ed McMahon shares recommendations and insights on how Main Streets can use sign design to improve sense of place on Main Streets.
Seeing the Glass as Half Full: Exploring the Reuse Opportunity for Houses of Worship on Main Street
Main Street organizations and other public-private partnerships can provide the focal point needed to fulfill the large number of roles required to reuse or redevelop a house of worship in a way that benefits the community.
Main Spotlight: Community Preservation in a Historically African-American Georgia Community
Learn about The Bottom, a historic African-American community in Thomasville, Georgia, and efforts to preserve it's history and share it's story.
Thomasville, GA © City of Thomasville
Community Spotlight: How Three New Mexico Main Street Communities Improved their Downtown Facades
New Mexico MainStreet partnered with Main Street America to utilize a NPS Main Street Facade Improvement Grant.
Gallup, NM © New Mexico MainStreet
Main Spotlight: Behind the Ribbon Cutting — The Merwyn Building
How do those amazing Main Street rehabilitation projects happen? And what policies and public support make them happen? In the Behind the Ribbon Cutting series, we look at a project or businesses from concept to opening day to break down the partnerships and funding brought to bear and recognize how we can advocate for policies and resources for revitalization across the country.
Astoria, OR © ADHDA
Mapping Main Streets: New Directions in Spatial Data
Main Street America's GIS intern shares the results of a project to map the boundaries of all designated Main Street districts.
Community Spotlight: Stories of Disaster Preparedness from the National Association For Latino Community Asset Builders
Main Street America welcomed the National Association For Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) to our Twitter channel to share stories of resiliency in Latino communities.
Community Spotlight: Disaster Preparedness in the Allapattah District of Miami, Florida
Main Street America welcomed to our Instagram Stories the Allapattah Collaborative CDC, a Main Street program in Miami, Florida.
Miami, FL © Allapattah Collaborative CDC
Main Spotlight: Preparedness Month on Main Street
We sat down with Lindsey Wallace, Director of Strategic Projects and Design Services and manager of the the National Park Service Main Street Community Disaster Preparedness and Resilience Program, to learn more about her perspective on disaster preparedness on Main Street.
Pandemic Recovery Efforts in Georgia: Progress on the Georgia Main Street Innovation Grant Program
To support Georgia Main Streets throughout the recovery process and position them for long-term sustainability, Main Street America launched the Georgia Main Street Innovation Grant Program, made possible through generous support from The Williams Family Foundation of Georgia.
Thomasville, GA © Thomasville Main Street
Main Spotlight: Improving Building Codes for Main Street
The Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) Main Street Task Force is working to increase education, compile examples and data, and provide recommended changes at the national level where necessary.
Partners in Preservation 2018: Projects in UM Communities
From community gathering spaces to retail incubators, from small towns to big cities – this year’s projects and communities are a testament to the diversity of Main Streets across the country.
Community Spotlight: Historic Real Estate Finance Training
The Main Street America Institute (MSAI) partnered with the National Development Council (NDC) to offer Historic Real Estate Finance, part one of a two-course certificate program, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Community Spotlight: Annual Texas First Lady Main Street Tour
Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott joined Texas Main Street and Texas Historical Commission staff, management and Commissioners to welcome Temple and Pearsall into the 89-city Texas Main Street network.
Determined Advocacy Preserves the Historic Tax Credit
After more than five years of consistent advocacy, the 20 percent historic tax credit (HTC) has survived the most significant rewrite of the tax code in more than 30 years.
Network Spotlight: Main Streets Raise Money to Help Hurricane-Affected Communities in Texas
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Main Street merchants in two communities in Michigan and Kentucky, as well as a fellow Texas Main Street community, jumped in to help their Texas colleagues.
Why Main Street Doesn’t See More Historic Tax Credit Financing and What Can Be Done About It
In the midst of this human and cultural disaster, the Main Street program, managed by the Ellicott City Partnership, collaborated with Preservation Maryland to provide a variety of disaster relief financing that helped expedite the recovery.
Partnering for Good Design
In 2016, the North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center partnered with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Department of Interior Architecture (UNCG) to provide design assistance to Main Street communities.
Farmers Market Impact
In 2015, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) partnered with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to engage Wisconsin Main Street organizations and farmers markets in the Metrics and Indicators for Impact – Farmers Markets (MIFI-FM) toolkit.
National Parks and Main Street
With 413 National Park areas¹ and over 1,000 Main Street America programs, it’s no surprise that many of the communities following the Four Point Approach serve as gateways to our national parks.
Vermont’s Downtowns Build Back Stronger after Floods
Eight historic downtowns in Vermont turned massive flooding into opportunities to build back stronger than before the flood.
Storytelling & Community in Jonesborough, Tennessee
As living pieces of American history, our Main Street communities each have a story to tell. It’s up to us to bring those stories to life.
The Path To The Future
The economic value of historic preservation on Main Street.
Historic Tax Credits: A Good Return for the Money
We measure the effectiveness of our last marketing campaign, weigh whether the investment in new street lights outweigh the political capital spent, and debate if the thousands of volunteer hours are worth the impacts created by a one-day event.
Improving Performance in Main Street Iowa Communities
Main Street Iowa, a program of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center, created a one-of-a-kind three-year program to provide help for performance venues located in Main Street districts.
