Skip to main content
Go to Previous Slide Go to Next Slide

 

"It's not about doing big visible projects, it's learning how and building our capacity to keep our downtown vibrant for the long-term. Having the ongoing support system that both the Nebraska Main Street Network and the National Main Street Center provides helps us stay on task and motivated unlike many of the other programs we've been involved in where well-intentioned people come in, recommend a project or hold a meeting and then leave us to figure things out on our own. The Nebraska Main Street Network is there for us no matter what happens."

--Local Main Street Board Chair

 

Inspired by the shared belief that people and communities are the lifeblood of our great state, the Nebraska Main Street Network is dedicated to enlivening the downtowns in our hometowns as cultural and economic drivers for the future. The Nebraska Main Street Network partners with communities to transform and revitalize these business districts. By supporting preservation of our heritage and treasured resources, we're making history from history!

 

Nebraska's Main Street program has been in existence since 1994 established with a grant from the Lied Foundation with partnering state agencies including the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Nebraska Department of Roads, the Nebraska State Historical Society, and the University of Nebraska College of Architecture. In 2013, the Nebraska Main Street Network, Inc. was established as a non-profit to take over the responsibilities of the program and serve as the state coordinator for Nebraska’s nationally accredited Main Street program.

The Main Street program is nationwide and designed to educate communities about place based downtown revitalization using historic preservation as the foundation.  Communities that establish Main Street programs experience increased business and job creation, investment in public and private assets, and a positive energy.  Local Main Street programs leverage their own private investment and capitalize on the unique appeal of traditional commercial business districts for their success.  The result is one of the most powerful economic revitalization strategies in the nation. The Nebraska Main Street Network is dedicated to coordinating resources, providing guidance and education to communities across the state so they have the skills and support to revitalize their traditional commercial business districts.

We provide programming and services to communities including:

  • Offering official Main Street America designation to communities that apply and meet the criteria
  • Main Street director orientation and professional development 
  • Local site visits to help the community develop strategies to tackle comprehensive downtown revitalization and business district management
  • Design and historic preservation assistance 
  • Specialized training and information on topics specific to downtown revitalization 
  • Education about State and Federal programs, public and private sector grants, and loans 
  • Facilitating partnerships for designated Main Street communities and other business districts
  • Opportunities for networking and learning between communities

What makes Nebraska's Main Street and Network communities successful?  The hard work they put in to learning how to create a stronger sense of place while providing the resources businesses and entrepreneurs need to succeed.  Communities look to the Nebraska Main Street Network to provide the opportunities for guidance and education that help them to help their downtowns.  Show your love for Nebraska's communities by supporting the Nebraska Main Street Network.  Your gift will help us continue to provide meaningful programming to communities statewide!

  • Take a look at what Nebraska's Main Street Communities have to offer! Shopping, dining, entertainment and professional services deliver a great experience for locals and visitors.

  • The Nebraska Main Street Network is a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program. As a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program, the Nebraska Main Street Network helps to lead a powerful, grassroots network consisting of over 40 Coordinating Programs and over 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share
    both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

  • Join us for our next training!

News & Events

April 26, 2022
byJordan Ryan

From : Blog Entry >> Jordan's Blog Entry
Editor's Note: Every year we provide space for recipients of a National Preservation Award to share a piece of their work. This story is from the Jordan Ryan the recipient of 2021 American Express Aspire Award , which recognizes an emerging leader in the preservation field who has made significant achievements in preservation. You don’t know what you don’t know: And that's one of the many attractions of the archives for me. Since receiving the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s [More]



April 20, 2022
byLizzy Barringer

From : Blog Entry >> Lizzy's Blog Entry
The National Trust Preservation Fund, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s small dollar grant program, has been providing catalytic funding to organizations across the country for more than 50 years. In the February 2022 round, the National Trust received 64 eligible applications and awarded a total of $275,173 in grants to 47 organizations in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Read more about these projects below, and learn how you can apply to our June 1 grant round here and [More]



April 7, 2022
byEmily Kahn

From : Blog Entry >> Emily's Blog Entry
Fire poses one of the greatest risks to historic places, but its prevention and extinguishing can also present a high risk to historic materials. Installing a traditional sprinkler system can negatively impact the character of a historic place, and the high volumes of water used to quell fires can oversaturate fragile features. In the 1990s, a new solution was developed in Finland to mitigate the risk of fire, reduce subsequent water damage, and prevent major disruptions from installation: HI-FOG [More]