Among nine people testifying before the Senate Finance Committee on April 30, 2026, in support of renewed funding for Main Street RI were (clockwise from top left): Michael Gagas, chair, South Kingstown Economic Development Committee; Jillian Finkle, deputy director, Grow Smart RI; Senator Lori Urso (District 8, Pawtucket), sponsor of S-2676; Matthew Netto, associate state director of advocacy and outreach, AARP R.I.; Garrett Mancieri, chair, Downtown Woonsocket Collaborative; and Caroline Stevens, director of communications and events, Grow Smart RI.
Members of the Rhode Island General Assembly are considering two resolutions — S-2676 and H-8316 — appropriating $150,000 to Grow Smart RI to bolster the viability of our state’s downtowns and village centers by extending our Main Street RI program into 2027.
To date, 55 written testimonials have been submitted to legislators in support of the resolutions. More than a dozen advocates have offered in-person testimonies before the House and Senate finance committees. We are grateful to Senator Lori Urso (District 8, Pawtucket), the key champion for this initiative, and to Representative Art Handy (District 18, Cranston) for introducing and passionately advocating on behalf of this legislation.
In June 2025, the Rhode Island General Assembly made a landmark investment: $125,000 to Grow Smart RI to launch the state’s first Main Street program in partnership with Main Street America. The goal of our Main Street RI work is to catalyze the potential of our state’s underutilized downtowns and village centers, to transform them into thriving economic engines and vibrant community destinations by building local capacity, providing technical assistance and networking opportunities while serving as the official liaison between Rhode Island and Main Street America.
In our first year, Main Street RI established its first cohort of 11 teams with 85 participants representing 300,000 Rhode Islanders in the cohort communities. We hosted networking events and 12 monthly roundtables on topics ranging from parking reform to historical preservation. More than 100 participants from 20 municipalities registered for our inaugural Main Street Together Conference. We featured main street communities across the state in 10 episodes in our Power of Place podcast series. We’re just getting started towards building a stronger, more connected Rhode Island — one main street at a time.
Continued funding would allow us to expand the Main Street RI network and bring additional training to Rhode Islanders who want to reenergize and strengthen their downtowns and neighborhood commercial centers.
Read more about the impact of Main Street RI’s first year
There is still time to let your representatives know that you support this work! Let them know why you support the Main Street RI funding appropriation bills. This is especially important if your legislator is on the House or Senate Finance Committees.