Main Street Beatrice outlines downtown work, seeks $40,000 in city funding

Virginia Gifford, the newly hired executive director of Main Street Beatrice, presented the quarterly report to the council and described ongoing work to update a downtown property tracker, assist businesses, and deliver marketing and event support.

Gifford told council members she conducted 20 direct business visits since starting on Dec. 9 and that the organization is updating listings of properties available for rehabilitation and tracking inquiries. She said Main Street had continued to assist entrepreneurs with funding sources, promoted downtown events and purchased advertising for 2025. "Part of the measures of success... we began updating the listings of properties available as a community resource and data on inquiries on those properties," Gifford said.

The report highlighted façade improvement demand, volunteer work on the Kensington property transfer to the city, downtown holiday events, and lamppost lighting installations. Gifford said Main Street will submit a city funding proposal asking for $40,000 in 2025, paid in quarterly increments of $10,000.

Council members commended the work and urged Main Street to ask businesses during retention visits which kinds of businesses they would like the city to recruit downtown. "I would like you to put in there to when you're visiting with each one of these businesses, to ask them what business they would like us to go and try to recruit," said Councilmember Terry.

Why it matters: Main Street provides downtown marketing, façade and business‑retention services; city funding decisions will affect Main Street’s capacity to continue those activities.