Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development’s Division of Historic Preservation announced more than $93,000 in grant funding awarded through the Louisiana Main Street program to ten Main Street communities to revitalize historic commercial buildings. The Louisiana Main Street program is an economic development program with its foundation in historic preservation. The program offers two types of competitive state-funded, dollar-for-dollar matching Restoration Grants ranging from $2,500 to $10,000. Grants are awarded annually for either interior or exterior rehabilitation for a historic commercial building.
“The Louisiana Main Street Restoration Grants are intended to serve as a catalyst for change in these communities that otherwise may not have been possible,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “Historic downtowns are the heart of any community and the people who live near these areas will reap the benefits from seeing commercial buildings put back into productive reuse. Visitors and tourists visit a town to learn about its history, experience its culture, and to see its historic landmarks.”
The 2022-2023 Louisiana Main Street Restoration Grant Recipients are:
| Recipient | Building/Address | Main Street Community | Grant Amount |
| Beverly Sellers | Downtown Salon 309 Pere Megret Abbeville, LA | Abbeville Main Street | $10,000 |
| Nagaratna Reddy | Historic Casso Building 217 Railroad Ave. Donaldsonville, LA | Donaldsonville Downtown Development District | $10,000 |
| Casey Robert | 145 West Pine St. Ponchatoula, LA | Ponchatoula Main Street | $9,200 |
Pointe Coupee Historical Society | The Julien Poydras Museum and Arts Center 500 West Main St. New Roads, LA | New Roads Main Street | $10,000 |
| Cynthia Steele | A Gracious Plenty 628 North Main St. Homer, LA | Main Street Homer | $10,000 |
Maximar Properties, LLC | Rock Hotel 700 Main St. Minden, LA | Minden Main Street | $10,000 |
| Mac Courvelle | Standard Building 121 S. Washington St. DeRidder, LA | DeRidder Main Street | $10,000 |
| Ashley Lerma | Java Square 103 West Landry St. Opelousas, LA | Opelousas Main Street | $10,000 |
| Gibsland Bank & Trust | 207 West Alabama Ave. Ruston, LA | Ruston Main Street | $4,242 |
| Steve McKinney | The Ford Place 11943 Ferdinand St. St. Francisville, LA | St. Francisville Main Street | $10,000 |
The Louisiana Main Street program operates under the umbrella of the National Main Street Center, an arm of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Since 1984, Louisiana’s Main Street program has helped more than 40 communities with design, planning, staff training, and capacity building. The program also provides revitalization technical assistance in the areas of economic development, streetscape design, promotion, and organization.
To qualify for the statewide grant funding, required criteria include that a building must be located within a Main Street district, be used for commercial purposes, and be at least 50 years old. In addition, the local Historic District Commission and the Louisiana Main Street office must approve proposed work, while also conforming to the guidelines set forth by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
A panel of experts from other coordinating Main Street programs across the county selected the grant recipients. The panel judged each application based on the proposed scope of work to determine a ranking in order to be selected to receive a grant.
Overall, Louisiana Main Street communities have seen $969 million in total investment between the private and public sectors including new construction and rehabilitation along with 14,379 new jobs, 3,506 new businesses, and more than 1.1 million volunteers.
To learn more the program and available grants, visit the Louisiana Main Street webpage [link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com].
