The Silver City MainStreet Project received a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation for the Downtown Recovery Project. The funding will be used for the Downtown Passport Program and the Small Business Assistance Program.
The Downtown Passport program is a fun way to engage families to come downtown, complete their passport and receive MainStreet Gift Certificates as prizes. The Small Business Assistance Program, designed with and also funded by the Town of Silver City, provides small forgivable loans for infrastructure projects that help downtown businesses to remain in operation. To date, forty-three projects have been funded.
“We are grateful for this funding, states Evangeline Zamora, board president of Silver City MainStreet. These projects will help businesses move forward and bring more shoppers to downtown Silver City. We appreciate the Town’s support and the funding from the Wells Fargo Foundation.”
The Silver City MainStreet Project is the oldest continuously operating MainStreet program in the state. The MainStreet program is a national program fostering economic development in local communities and operates under the NM MainStreet program and the state Economic Development Department.
Silver City MainStreet has accomplished many projects since 1985 including the downtown street lights, downtown gateway arch, improvements to the Big Ditch Park, numerous beautification projects, and most recently, the restoration of the historic Silco Theater. In 2011, Silver City MainStreet won the Great American MainStreet Award given to only three programs each year. The Main Street Plaza is one of the most recently completed projects.
The mission of Silver City MainStreet is "To encourage a vibrant, historic downtown Silver City that is recognized as the heart of our diverse community." Please visit our website, www.silvercitymainstreet.com to learn more.