MDF’s Maine Downtown Center Holds 25th Anniversary Conference and Annual Awards Celebration

Biddeford and Saco - November 6-7, 2024 Maine Development Foundation's (MDF's) Maine Downtown Center (MDC) held its 25^th Anniversary Conference and Annual Awards over two jam-packed days in Biddeford and Saco. This year's conference theme, "Revitalization in Action," set the stage for dynamic discussions, action-oriented workshops, awards, and community tours highlighting ways community leaders, municipal staffs, elected officials, business owners, and passionate residents, are transforming downtown communities throughout Maine. The three awards that were presented and the keynote address by Erin Barnes, President and CEO of Main Street America, underscored the power of collective action to drive community revitalization and growth.

"We know that we can't solve everything," said Erin Barnes, President and CEO of Main Street America, during her keynote address on Thursday. "But we are the experts on our own communities. We have the exact right expertise to mend what's right in front of us. "

More than 150 business, municipal, and community leaders and volunteers from across Maine attended the 2-day Conference. They participated in a variety of ways: through downtown walking tours of neighborhoods, parks, and historic sites both Saco and Biddeford to experience how initiatives are playing out in real life; in workshops aimed at providing tools to transform their own communities; and contributing to strategic discussions of how to scale proven approaches and initiatives to drive equitable, inclusive economic and community development across Maine.

"Maine has amazing downtowns. Mill towns. Towns on rivers. Towns along the ocean," said Anne Ball, Senior Program Director for MDC. "They offer beautiful historic fabric and building types, welcoming public spaces, and unique small businesses. These places can also be fragile. If they are going to continue to be economic engines, they need to be cultivated and supported. So, our work is never done."

During the Awards Celebration MDC proudly bestowed the following honors:

2024 Downtown Project of the Year Award to the Szanton Company for The Uptown complex in Bath. Working with more than a dozen public and private partners and funders, Szanton rehabilitated and expanded two historic buildings to offer both residential and commercial space. 42 of the resulting 60 housing units are affordable, helping ease the region's housing shortage.

2024 Downtown Small Business Award to Rhona Beauty in Biddeford. Owner Rhona Deah opened the salon to serve multi-cultural women and create a space for "empowerment and self-love." Deah is an immigrant from Liberia who now employs two hair braiders, offers booths to other stylists, and hosts community events.

2024 William F. King, Jr., Downtown Champion Award to Luke R Dyer, Town Manager of Van Buren. Dyer served in law enforcement for 30 years before taking the role of Town Manager in Van Buren. He has helped lead several economic development initiatives including the Park Street & Community Garden project, the Van Buren Acadian Passage Lighting Project, and the upcoming $1.8 million community tech hub project.

The event also celebrated MDC's 25^th Anniversary of leading preservation-based community and economic development across the state under the umbrella of the national Main Street America organization. MDC currently works with 11 nationally accredited Main Street Maine communities - including the most recent designee, City of Ellsworth, and the nonprofit Heart of Ellsworth - 14 Affiliate Communities and scores of other municipalities and communities.

"I really don't think there is any way Ellsworth and Heart of Ellsworth could have achieved national accreditation as a Main Street Community without the help of the Maine Downtown Center," said Cara Romano, Executive Director of Heart of Ellsworth. "They have been with us every step of the way, helping us figure out the strategic planning, the tactical implementation, and coaching us on how to secure everything from funding to investment in initiatives that have enriched Ellsworth economically."

Visit the MDC section of our website to find out more about the broad range of programs we offer.