Reisterstown Designated A Main Street Community

REISTERSTOWN, MD — Reisterstown was recently awarded a Main Street Maryland designation by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. and Maryland Speaker of the House Adrienne Jones came together Thursday in Reisterstown to celebrate the honor and announce a grant program to support local business associations.

"You are the cornerstone of our economy," Jones said to small business owners at a news conference outside The Reister's Daughter, a coffee shop on Main Street in Reisterstown.

To help local businesses around Baltimore County, Olszewski announced a grant program that he said would triple the amount of funding available to small businesses through the CARES Act.

Funding will funnel through local business associations to support small businesses, which he called the "bedrock" of the community.

He commended the Reisterstown Improvement Association for advocating for nearly a decade to earn the Main Street designation.

To become a designated Maryland Main Street, a community has to have a central business district that is walkable with a significant number of historic buildings. It also has to have a minimum population of 1,000 and meet other criteria, such as committing to sustainability.

The Main Street Maryland program is designed to harness the economic potential of Maryland’s traditional main streets and neighborhoods. With the designation, Reisterstown will now be able to receive historic preservation assistance and other help to promote economic development.

Reisterstown's designation was the culmination of an eight-year campaign by the Reisterstown Improvement Association.

"The future of Reisterstown looks very bright," President of the Reisterstown Improvement Association Herb Weiss said.

There are 33 Main Street Maryland communities across the state. The only other one in Baltimore County is Dundalk.