Commerce Awards $100,000 in Grant Funding to Three Montana Main Street Communities

HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that three Montana communities will share $100,000 in grant funding to regenerate Main Street businesses and downtowns. The funding is through Commerce’s Montana Main Street Program (MMS).

“Montana’s Main Streets are at the heart of our state’s values, our neighborhoods and the economy. That’s why Commerce, through the Montana Main Street Program, will continue to help foster community development efforts, revitalization projects and historic preservation for our Main Streets,” said Paul Green, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce. “These Main Street grant awards will help visitors better navigate and explore Cut Bank and Glasgow, as well as assist Broadus with future economic growth and opportunities for its downtown.”

The Montana Main Street Program helps communities strengthen and preserve their historic downtown commercial districts by focusing on economic development, urban revitalization and historic preservation through long-range planning, organization, design and promotion. Additionally, the program works with local partners to identify and plan for a community’s greatest development needs and provides seed money to help implement high-impact projects.

Communities receiving MMS grant funding:

• The Town of Broadus will receive $30,000 of MMS grant funding to create a downtown masterplan.
• The City of Cut Bank will receive $30,000 of MMS grant funding to install wayfinding signage.
• The City of Glasgow will receive $40,000 of MMS grant funding to install wayfinding signage and directional messaging.

In 2023, the City of Thompson Falls received $32,000 of MMS grant funding to develop a wayfinding plan that included designing signage and collaborating with the Montana Department of Transportation to place new signs.

“Thompson Falls has been wanting to implement wayfinding signage for many years. We’re excited to have some progress now with a wayfinding master plan thanks to the Montana Main Street Project and Planning grant,” said Kayla Mosher, Thompson Falls Main Street Chair.

Currently, there are 37 Montana Main Street communities. Eligible applicants for MMS grants include Montana Main Street communities who currently do not have an active grant. The funding for the program comes from Montana Senate Bill 540.

For more information about the Montana Main Street Program, visit comdev.mt.gov.

PROVIDED BY DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE