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Annapolis to bring Main Street program in‑house, to solicit new partner and explore tax credits
Summary
City officials said they ended direct city funding to the Downtown Business Partnership and will temporarily manage the Main Street program while soliciting a partner and pursuing stakeholder input; they also flagged a new state option for local tax credits for designated Main Streets and arts districts.
The chair of the Economic Matters Committee and Adam, the city’s Economic Development Director, told the committee on July 1 that the city has ended its contract with the Downtown Business Partnership and plans to bring the Main Street program in‑house while it develops a new long‑term structure.
Adam said the past fiscal years treated the Downtown Business Partnership as the city’s Main Street program, but the city now intends to stabilize the program internally, build a stronger community engagement process and issue a solicitation to find a partner organization that can operate the program long term. “We have ended our contract with the Downtown Business Partnership. They are still a fantastic organization in the city. Uh we just no longer give them um direct city funding,” he said, adding that staff have submitted an action plan to the city manager and briefed the mayor.
Why it matters: committee members pressed for a clear vision. Adam described the program around widely used Main Street pillars — placemaking and events, programming, and economic vitality with an emphasis on small‑business development — but said the city wants stakeholders to help define the final goals rather than imposing a top‑down mandate.
Officials highlighted that the designated Main Street area is broader than a single street and includes Main Street, the first block of Inner West Street, portions of Maryland Avenue and State Circle and parts of Prince George Street. Members asked whether the city has capacity to manage signature events such as the annual tree lighting; Adam said the city has the operational ability but that details will require coordination among public works, parks and public safety.
The chair also told the committee the state has recently authorized local jurisdictions to offer tax credits to designated Main Streets and arts districts. Adam said he has reviewed the legislation, noted there are caveats, and offered to provide an early briefing to the committee on how such credits might be applied locally.
Next steps: city staff will continue stakeholder outreach over the summer, finalize parameters for a solicitation to identify a partner organization, and provide briefings on tax‑credit options and the action plan submitted to the manager’s office.
