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City of Charlotte

corporatecommunications1@ci.charlotte.nc.us

600 East Fourth Street, , Charlotte, NC, 28202, US

704-336-7600

Urban Main Organization Funding Request Application

Fiscal Year 2021

Charlotte UrbanMain Request for Proposals

The National Main Street Center (NMSC) believes that everyone deserves access to a vibrant

neighborhood—a place that has a thriving local economy, is rich in character, and features inviting

public spaces that make residents and visitors feel that they belong. Yet, we know that many Americans,

whether in small towns or big cities, miss out on these benefits. Our mission is to make this right.

In collaboration with the UrbanMain Beatties Ford/LaSalle Advisory Committee, the City of Charlotte is pleased to announce a new program to support commercial district revitalization efforts in the Beatties Ford/LaSalle district.

About the NMSC and UrbanMain

 

The NMSC is a proven leader in the commercial district revitalization field. Our approach to helping to

transform local economies, known as the Main Street Approach®, is a time-tested methodology that

focuses on the key factors that constrain the growth in disinvested commercial districts. Building off

nearly four decades of success, this model harnesses the social, economic, physical, and cultural assets

that set a place apart, ultimately leading to tangible outcomes that benefit the entire community. The

Main Street Approach equips local leaders and residents with a practical framework for improving the

quality of life in their own communities.

 

The NMSC launched its new UrbanMain program in September 2017. UrbanMain is designed to support

the needs of urban commercial districts in distressed neighborhoods through a suite of tailored

technical services and a dynamic network to connect individuals leading those local neighborhood

development efforts. UrbanMain technical services include comprehensive multi-phased programming,

extensive community engagement, and rigorous market analysis to support corridor leaders, city

officials, property owners and residents in developing and implementing district revitalization strategies.

Learn more about UrbanMain programming here.

Program Overview

The National Main Street Center technical services team will provide direct support to grant recipients

over a 12-month timeframe. The program will consist of market assessment, organizational

assessment, and community asset mapping and engagement in order to help neighborhood

development groups arrive at a sustainable and equitable strategy for economic growth. Services will

include the following:

  • Business mix analysis
  • Trade area analysis
  • Neighborhood attitude survey
  • Staff capacity analysis
  • Structural and operational recommendations
  • Funding options

Grantees will then be guided through a process of developing Transformation Strategies that will

provide direction for revitalization work. A Transformation Strategy articulates a focused, deliberate

path to revitalizing or strengthening a downtown or commercial district’s economy.

Services the NMSC will provide to the Beatties Ford/LaSalle business district are valued at $100,000.

In Spring 2021, the City will select one organization to participate in the Charlotte UrbanMain program for the Beatties Ford/LaSalle district in 2021.

Agency Information

Agency Address

Date Agency Established

Date Picker

Is this organization new or existing?

Documentation that demonstrates the organization’s strong financial health (audited financial statements or IRS 990 forms from the previous two years)

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501(c)3, 501(c)6 letter, Cooperative Agreement, or similar documentation

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Letter of commitment from Board of Directors, if an existing organization

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Brief bios of staff/board members/other personnel who will work on UrbanMain on behalf of the organization

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A detailed scope of work including performance measures describing how the project/program/service implements the transformation strategies identified by the community in the 2020 Report.

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An itemized budget and specific timeline for the proposed program of work

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Not required but recommended: Letters of support from City government, council members and/or other local stakeholder groups.

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Application Submission process:

All applications must be submitted online. The deadline for submitting a proposal is 5:00 p.m. EST, 2/12/2021. Please contact Erin Gillespie at: erin.gillespie@charlottenc.gov with questions.