Overview

The Montana Main Street Program, established in 2005 and currently serving thirty-seven communities across the state, is a collaborative effort between the Community MT Division and the Montana Office of Tourism at the Montana Department of Commerce. The program helps communities strengthen and preserve their historic downtown commercial districts by focusing on economic development, urban revitalization, and historic preservation through long-range planning, organization, design, and promotion.

Using the National Trust Main Street Center Four Point Approach™ to downtown revitalization, the Montana Main Street Program provides a range of services and assistance to communities striving to enhance economic and business vitality while maintaining local historic integrity, quality of life, and sense of place. Such goals are best met by uniting larger community ideas and efforts with program organization, coordination, and resources.

The Montana Main Street 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.

Applications for the Montana Main Street annual Planning & Project Grant will be accepted for Montana Main Street member communities in the fall. Planning and Project Grants should focus on planning and projects directly related to downtown revitalization, economic development, and historic preservation.  

APPLICATION FOR PLANNING AND PROJECT GRANTS

Applications for the Montana Main Street Impact Grant will be accepted for Montana Main Street member communities in the fall. Impact Grants will support Montana Main Street Program member community efforts to implement high impact projects that activate spaces and execute concrete ideas for downtown revitalization. Impact grant funds can be used to activate public spaces, downtown retail spaces, and upstairs housing. 

APPLICATION FOR IMPACT GRANTS

Updated Process! Effective immediately, there is a new option to submit your grant application through the Montana Grants and Loans Portal. To submit your application through the new Montana Grants and Loans Portal, use this step-by-step guide. 

If Montana Main Street member communities have questions about potential projects or non-member communities would like more information about working with our program, please contact Community MT at 406.841.2770 or DOCCDD@mt.gov

 For more detailed information about the program, please refer to our Montana Main Street Program Guidelines or contact our office to work with one of our team members. For grant information, click here.

As a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program, the Montana Main Street Program is part of a powerful, grassroots network consisting of 45 Coordinating Programs and over 1600 neighborhoods and communities across the country committed to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.

Downtown Revitalization in Roundup and Lewistown, Montana

The Montana Department of Commerce delivers critical programs like the Montana Main Street Program to rural communities across the state to strengthen and preserve historic downtowns. The Montana Main Street Program works with local partners to identify and plan for the community’s greatest development needs and provides seed money to help implement high impact projects. This video demonstrates the impact of the program by highlighting community efforts in Roundup and Lewistown, Montana.