Notice

Main Street Matters Program Designates Lewistown as Participant

Downtown Lewistown has been designated a participant in the Main Street Matters program, making it eligible for up to $225,000 in grant funding. This designation supports Downtown Lewistown, Inc.’s five-year revitalization plan, which includes efforts to remove blight, enhance greenspace, and leverage development opportunities such as the new Geisinger School of Nursing to attract healthcare and related investment to the area.

The Main Street Matters initiative is part of a broader statewide strategy to invest in infrastructure, strengthen local economies, and support community revitalization. The program is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and builds on the success of the Keystone Communities Program. A second round of competitive project funding is now open, with applications due by August 31, 2025.

Eligible applicants include counties, cities, boroughs, townships, home rule municipalities, redevelopment and housing authorities, nonprofit and economic development organizations, community development corporations, and business, neighborhood, and downtown improvement districts and authorities.

Funding through the program can be used for a wide range of community and economic development efforts. These include community planning grants to develop revitalization strategies; façade improvements to upgrade building exteriors; business improvement grants to support small business operations and marketing; district development projects such as signage, lighting, and public amenities; and accessible housing grants to improve or expand housing options within the designated downtown areas.

In the program’s first round, more than 200 applications were submitted requesting over $43 million, reflecting strong demand. A total of 81 communities received grants earlier this year.