The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Virginia, led by State Director Perry Hickman, and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), represented by Community Development Manager Rebecca Rowe, selected Colonial Beach, Virginia, as the location to announce a new phase of the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI). This $500,000 grant, awarded to DHCD’s Mobilizing Main Street (MMS) program, aims to boost local economic growth. MMS offers a two-year training course based on the Main Street Approach™ to strengthen small-town economies, engaging nonprofits and local governments statewide.
Downtown Colonial Beach (DCB), a 2022 grant recipient, has become a model for leveraging these funds. This effort has elevated the town as a leader in community improvement, strategic planning, and economic development. The current initiative will benefit ten communities in Central, Southside, Valley, and Southwest Virginia. DHCD’s Virginia Main Street Program, active for 40 years, is working with an initial cohort that will complete the program by December 2024. Past projects in Colonial Beach include wayfinding systems, façade improvements, strategic planning, and placemaking. RCDI grants focus on economic development, affordable housing, and community facilities in towns under 50,000 residents. USDA Rural Development supports these efforts by funding infrastructure, business development, housing, and internet access to improve rural quality of life.