Gov. Josh Shapiro announces 81 new Main Street Matters investments

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The historic investments in Pennsylvania’s main streets will help local communities repair sidewalks and lighting, improve building façades, build more affordable housing, and support small businesses.

Gov. Shapiro speaks to the attendees at the 2025 National Main Street Now Conference in Philadelphia.
(Photo/pa.gov)

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — On Monday, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that his administration is investing in 81 community projects across Pennsylvania through the Main Street Matters program, fulfilling a key promise he made to help revitalize downtowns, support small businesses, and strengthen local economies. This historic investment in Pennsylvania’s Main Streets follows Governor Shapiro’s work to create the new Main Street Matters initiative and secure $20 million for it in the 2024-25 bipartisan budget.

Governor Shapiro made the announcement at the 2025 National Main Street Now Conference in Philadelphia, a national gathering that brings together 1,500 community and neighborhood development professionals, local leaders and volunteers from across the country to share best practices for revitalizing main streets. Main Street Matters, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), received more than 200 applications requesting over $43 million, underscoring the demand for strategic investments in Main Streets across Pennsylvania. The Governor’s 2025-26 budget proposal includes another $20 million for this successful initiative.

“Every community in our Commonwealth, rural, urban, or suburban, has a Main Street, and I’ve seen firsthand how critical they are to local economies,” Shapiro said. “Our Main Streets are the beating hearts of our communities, and the economic strength of our towns and cities is directly tied to the success of small businesses and our Main Streets. That’s why my Administration has made investing in our Main Streets a priority, and today we’re delivering a historic amount of support for dozens of projects across the Commonwealth. Every Main Street matters, and I’ll continue bringing people together to invest in and improve our communities.”

Main Street Matters is a key part of the Shapiro administration’s 10-year Economic Development Strategy. Since day one, Shapiro and his administration have been committed to making Pennsylvania a leader in economic development, job creation, and community revitalization. The governor’s 2024-25 bipartisan budget made significant investments aligned with the Economic Development Strategy, and his proposed 2025-26 budget goes further to implement the strategy and create real opportunity for Pennsylvania.

“Governor Shapiro created the Main Street Matters program because he understands that main streets are the heartbeat of their communities, helping to retain and attract residents, businesses, and visitors,” said DCED Secretary Siger. “This program is an exciting funding tool that will help main streets and downtowns across our Commonwealth achieve their full potential as economic hubs. The Shapiro Administration is focused on making these types of bold, meaningful investments to provide a higher quality of life for Pennsylvanians as well as our growing businesses and thriving communities.”

Investing in Pennsylvania’s main streets and businesses

Through the Main Street Matters initiatives, the Shapiro Administration will invest $20 million to revitalize downtown areas, help businesses grow, and improve community infrastructure. These funds build on the success of the Keystone Communities Program, which has helped cities and towns across Pennsylvania repair historic buildings, improve pedestrian safety, and provide direct support to small businesses.
Here are some local highlights:

Chester County

• $1,000,000 to Square Roots Community Partnership, Inc. to restore the 19,000 sq. ft. creamery building in the Birch Street District to allow Square Roots to expand.
• $500,000 to Liberty Housing Development Corporation for the construction of “Eileen & Shawn’s Place,” a six-unit residential property for low-income, disabled individuals transitioning out of nursing homes.

Philadelphia County

• $1,000,000 to the City of Philadelphia for the 52nd Street commercial corridor improvement project to improve the safety, transit service, and streetscape infrastructure on 52nd St between Arch and Pine streets to support multimodal transportation and enhance the business corridor.

In the last year, Shapiro has visited more than a dozen Main Streets across the Commonwealth — Mt. Lebanon, West Philadelphia, Honesdale, Lemoyne, Bedford, Wellsboro, Peddler’s Village, Hummelstown, Phoenixville, Scranton, Lancaster, Easton, and Bethlehem — to hear directly from business owners and community leaders about what they need to grow and thrive. Those conversations helped shape the Main Street Matters initiative.

Visit: www.shapirobudget.pa.gov to learn more about the administration’s efforts to support Pennsylvania’s businesses and Main Streets.

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