Mathews Main Street board members welcomed a delegation from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development on Monday, leading a community tour that focused on downtown revitalization, economic development, and long-term resilience in Mathews County. The visit follows Mathews Main Street’s reentry into the Virginia Main Street program, a preservation-based economic and community development initiative that provides a framework for revitalizing historic commercial districts, along with training, design assistance, and access to grants. The program helps communities leverage the character and assets of their traditional downtowns to support small businesses, tourism and local job creation, a release stated. As a rural coastal community with a small population, limited tax base, and lean county staff capacity, Mathews must rely on strong partnerships and local initiative to advance meaningful change, the release stated. Through Mathews Main Street and the Mathews County Visi...