BIRMINGHAM, AL (March 23, 2026) – The Town of Emmitsburg has selected Downtown Strategies, the downtown division of Retail Strategies, to develop a downtown action plan aimed at strengthening and revitalizing the Town’s historic Main Street and downtown corridor.
Downtown Strategies works with communities of all sizes to create practical, actionable plans that restore vitality to downtown areas. The firm’s approach focuses on historic building restoration, filling storefronts with thriving businesses, activating sidewalks and streetscapes, and building a calendar of events that draws visitors downtown — goals already reflected in Emmitsburg’s own Master Plan.
“Downtown continues to be a focus of the Town, and Downtown Strategies brings additional resources to help us execute on the plan we will adopt,” said Mayor Frank Davis. “Their work in similar downtowns across the country made them the right partner for Emmitsburg.”
The engagement will follow a three-phase process. The first phase, a discovery phase, will assess who is currently engaging with downtown — residents, workers, commuters, and visitors from the surrounding area — and identify opportunities to keep spending local. The team will also review the Town’s current codes and ordinances, along with market data, to better understand the landscape. From there, a strategic action plan will be developed covering policy and administration, design, tourism and promotion, and economic vitality, with actionable steps planned over a five-year horizon. The final phase focuses on implementation support, ensuring the plan moves from the page to real progress — connecting Town staff and business owners with training, marketing expertise, branding resources, and more.
“Emmitsburg has such a charming downtown; it is already a wonderful place to live, work, and visit. Since the main street is the main hub for commerce, activating the vacancies will continue to make Emmitsburg an ideal place to live and an even more lovely place to visit,” said Sarah Beth Stewart, Vice President of Retail Strategies.
The plan is designed with Emmitsburg’s budget in mind, emphasizing incremental, affordable strategies that can produce visible change within five years and outline where to get started initially.
About Retail Strategies
Retail Strategies is a national economic development consulting firm specializing in retail recruitment and downtown revitalization services for cities, counties, and economic development corporations. The company operates multiple divisions, including Downtown Strategies for downtown revitalization and Retail Academy for comprehensive retail education programs, serving municipal leaders and economic development professionals across the United States.
