Montana Main Street Program, Historic Preservation Grant Presentation Held Sept 13

Tash Wisemiller program manager for the Community & Economic Vitality Program under the Montana Department of Commerce was in Sidney on Sept. 13. Wisemiller toured the town and gave a presentation to community members, leaders and business people at the Meadowlark Public House in downtown Sidney.

The Montana Main Street Program was established in 2005 and currently serves 35 communities in Montana. It is a collaborative effort between the Community Development Division and the Montana Office of Tourism at the Montana Department of Commerce. The program provides services and assistance to communities wanting to enhance economic vitality while maintaining local historic integrity. The program offers technical assistance and expertise to member communities and awards competitive grant funding to communities actively working on downtown revitalization, economic development and historic preservation. They also help facilitate project tracking to gauge project success which can be compared against other projects in communities throughout the state. A few of the towns participating in the program with projects completed or in the works include Roundup, Great Falls, Lewistown, Kalispell, Glasgow, Glendive, Baker and Ekalaka. More information on the Montana Main Street Program can be found at https://comdev.mt.gov/Programs-and-Boards/Montana-Main-Street-Program.

The Montana Historic Preservation Grant Program is a state-funded program created in 2019 with the passage of Senate Bill 338, Sections 1 through 17. This program provides grant funds for public or private entities intending to preserve historic sites, historic societies or history museums. The program supports the preservation of Montana's historic structures, sites, societies, and museums, contributing to the maintenance and demonstrating the economic impact of historical resources throughout the state. More information on the Montana Historic Preservation Grant Program can be found at https://comdev.mt.gov/Programs-and-Boards/Montana-Historic-Preservation-Grant.

In order to be eligible for the opportunities within the Montana Main Street Program, Sidney must first enter a competitive process to become a Montana Main Street Affiliate Community. The Sidney Chamber of Commerce has initiated this process with the blessing of many businesses and local authorities. If and when Sidney is selected as an affiliate community, the Sidney Chamber intends to utilize opportunities for town revitalization and marketing. There will be a process for creating a strategic plan in which the Chamber expects to utilize as many businesses as possible. Sidney Chamber Director Kali Godfrey stated, "the Montana Main Street Program is our number one strategy for creating a community where businesses flourish, families establish and good memories are made. This environmental effort is what will bring people to Sidney and retain them."