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.