The Heartside Mainstreet Program started in the summer of 1999 to revitalize the Heartside neighborhood. The program's mission is "to promote Division Avenue as a focal point for Heartside and the city, as a vibrant place of commerce, community, and culture."
Heartside Mainstreet is a designated site of the Neighborhood Main Street Initiative (NMSI), a national program affiliated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Mainstreet Center and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a not-for-profit community development organization that sponsors and supports local initiatives throughout the United States for revitalization of neighborhoods.
According to the Heartside Mainstreet website, Heartside was chosen "business district, and the substantive historic architecture also present and intact in this area."
The program focuses on South Division Avenue from Fulton to Wealthy Street.
Areas of emphasis
The Mainstreet strategy of economic development focuses on four areas:
- Design
- Economic Restructuring
- Promotions
- Organization
Projects
Grand Rapids Furniture City mural
Heartside Mainstreet was involved in the creation of the Grand Rapids Furniture City mural in 2004 at the corner of Division and Cherry. The mural, pictured to the right, appears on the south wall of 139 S. Division.
Investment incentives
Heartside Mainstreet will work with interested parties to help them understand various investment incentives available in the Heartside district.
