BATON ROUGE - Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and Louisiana Main Street on Wednesday announced that a second round of technical assistance grants will be awarded to 12 communities across Louisiana.

The $450,000 funding for the project was awarded in the Louisiana Legislature's newest budget and follows the first round of funding announced in July as part of a legislative appropriation for the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year.

The designated communities that will receive the grant funding this round include Plaquemine Main Street and New Roads Main Street, as well as communities in New Orleans and other parts of the state.

"Louisiana's Main Street communities are the heartbeat of our towns and cities," Nungesser said. "Awarding a second round of these Technical Assistance Grants, we are helping communities strengthen their historic downtowns, support local businesses, and create places that both residents and visitors want to experience."

Activities for the grant must be associated with the Main Street Four Points of Organization, Economic Vitality, Design and Promotion. 

The Louisiana Main Street program reached an investment milestone of $1 billion in public and private investment in 2022, created more than 17,000 net new jobs and logged more than 1.3 million volunteer hours.