Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC), the statewide nonprofit organization with the mission of helping towns throughout the state use preservation-based tactics to foster economic development, recently recognized Vienna Main Street for completing its services from a Community Empowerment Grant.

The grant provided Vienna Main Street with training, mentoring and technical services to revitalize the downtown district. The process began with gathering community input through a survey that asked what residents would like to see in downtown Vienna, from businesses to beautification projects.

After gathering the results, MMSC worked with Vienna Main Street and other community leaders to identify and provide tools to implement the ideas suggested by the community. Last fall, consultants visited Vienna to provide branding, design and economic development services to give the local organization a roadmap to implement for years to come. The branding includes the Vienna logo, which was made available to local businesses for merchandising.

“Vienna Main Street has completed so many projects since becoming a program two years ago,” MMSC State Director Gayla Roten said. “It has truly been inspiring to see this small, county-seat community utilize all of the resources available to them to bring about real change in downtown Vienna by utilizing the Main Street Approach.”

Projects Vienna Main Street has completed so far include its adopt-a-planter program and helping to establish the Vienna Welcome Center. The organization hopes to have the banners for which it recently fundraised up around town in time for its Trunk or Treat and Christmas Around the Square events this fall.