Maine Development Foundation

  • Purpose: To strengthen links between the natural and built environment in Maine’s historic downtowns
  • Partners: Maine Downtown Center and Maine Preservation
  • Award: $100,000, 3 year request
  • Read the Proposal (PDF)

    • MDF - links between the natural and built environments.

    The Maine Downtown Center’s Green Downtowns! is designed to:  provide more communities with development assistance; enhance local historic preservation activities; and support the development of a multi-use trail system.

    The Maine Downtown Center (MDC) will provide challenge grants to Main Street Maine communities to create more environmentally friendly, attractive and appealing downtown areas.  EFN funds will be used to leverage Community Development Block Grant funds, and MDC will solicit, through a competitive process, proposals from these communities for projects that support: 1) obtaining technical assistance from a landscape architect to develop a “green blueprint” plan, 2) purchasing trees, recycling containers, or other enhancements, and/or 3) supporting downtown businesses to preserve, restore or rehabilitate their facades through the use of environmentally friendly, durable, and maintenance-practical materials.

    The Downtown Center will provide technical assistance to Maine Downtown Network communities to identify and develop “green” enhancements.  The services of a landscape architect will be retained who will work with seven Network communities to identify and develop plans for “green enhancements” in their downtowns.  Additionally, MDC will sponsor a presentation during the 2010 Downtown Institute on What Makes Your Downtown “Green”? – featuring one or more professionals in the field of green downtowns who will provide specific examples of enhancements that can help make any downtown more environmentally friendly.

    Maine Preservation will provide design and technical services to the participating communities. The MDC will leverage Maine Preservation’s expertise to inform and demonstrate the environmental value of reusing and recycling historic buildings (keeping construction materials out of landfills) and to apply Green Building and LEED methods of energy efficiency.  Together, they will develop a comprehensive package of materials and training tools to leave with communities to supplement their one-on-one work with building owners and community-based design committees.  MDC and Maine Preservation have already begun working with Augusta to save the (former) Colonial Theater in downtown.

    Finally, the partnership will assist Main Street Maine communities in the planning process to link their historic downtown to surrounding neighborhoods or to a neighboring town through multi-use trails and urban walkways.  Funds will be provided through a competitive process to at least one MSM community to support one of two things:  either their existing efforts to develop trails and walkways throughout their downtown or initiating plans to develop trail systems, or to conduct a feasibility study to gage the need for, support of, and resources required to develop or enhance their trail systems.

     

    About the 2009 Grantees

    Casco Bay Estuary Partnership

     GrowSmart Maine (PDF)

     Healthy Community Coalition 

    Maine Conservation Voters Education Fund 

    Maine Development Foundation 

    Maine Farmland Trust 

    Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine,

    Trust for Public Land 

     

    Learn More

    EFN’s Quality of Place Initiative