Mainstreet Waynesboro’s 21 East Main Street Redevelopment Project will soon enter its final phase, bringing a signature venue to downtown
By Robb Helfrick
Waynesboro’s downtown has enjoyed a renaissance during the past decade, and Mainstreet Waynesboro, Inc. deserves much credit for its contributions to that success. The organization has lived up to its slogan, “Bringing hometown back to downtown,” by sponsoring events and helping Main Street businesses with grant funding and other support, all while serving as a goodwill ambassador for the community.
Now, under the leadership of Bill Kohler, who has served as Mainstreet’s Director of Economic Development since 2016, the organization is closing in on its greatest achievement to date, the redevelopment of 21 East Main Street.
The ambitious project, which blends the refurbished older building at that address with a new modern building, is already well underway, with an estimated final budget of $2.6 million. The two-story conjoined building will house a new restaurant at the front, a Welcome Center and Mainstreet offices at the rear, and space for another tenant.
The new building’s exterior shell is complete, and the older structure has been renovated and shored up as it awaits a new business purpose. This combined structure sits next to Main Street Park, which has enjoyed popularity since it opened.
“The goal of this project is to bring people downtown,” Kohler said in a recent interview. That mission reflects MW’s overall strategy when considering projects and programs along Waynesboro’s historic Main Street corridor, which stretches from Clayton Avenue to Fairview Avenue.
“It’s going to be a great project,” Kohler said about 21 E. Main Street. “Everyone will enjoy this building.” Kohler also stressed that the project will foster further economic development, which will add 12-16 new jobs and bring increased stability to downtown. “This is vital to Main Street.”
The original Mainstreet America program was launched in 1977 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The invention of shopping malls in the 1950s and big-box stores in the 1960s left many American downtowns with high vacancy rates, crumbling infrastructure, and little or no economic base. Mainstreet America wanted to turn around that downward slide.
Nearly 50 years later, the program has been extremely successful, leading to $124 billion in reinvestment, 356,000 building rehabilitations, 852,000 jobs, and 188,000 new businesses launched. Waynesboro joined the system in 1998 and is one of over 2,000 U.S. communities that have embraced the Mainstreet America concept.
When Bill Kohler took the helm at MW a decade ago, Waynesborians immediately noticed his energy and enthusiasm. “I bring a lot of passion, and I have a lot of ideas,” Kohler said about his start as Mainstreet’s Director. “I felt like I just got out of college.” His initial priority: “We needed to figure out how to bring people back downtown.”
Kohler asked for the community’s advice: what did people want for their town? The top three responses were a farmer’s market, a coffee shop, and a brew pub. All three entities now operate successfully in downtown Waynesboro.
Mainstreet added unique events and helped clean up the community. The town noticed: the organization increased its Facebook followers from 2,500 to 19,000. “We kept asking the public, what can we do to embrace the things we already have here?”
When Main Street Park opened in 2017 and the farmer’s market debuted the following year, momentum began to build. “The park adds to the character of downtown with the red bricks and the nice façade,” Kohler said. Mainstreet bought the distressed building next to the park to incorporate its renovation into its downtown plan.
In mid-2026, that objective is nearly complete, but the organization is still raising money for the project. To date, $1.4 million has been spent on the building, and those funds came from private donations and government grant money.
With $1.2 million needed to finish the building’s interior, Kohler said that nearly half of that goal has been raised. Mainstreet hopes to get to the $800,000 level soon so the organization can secure a bridge loan to complete the project, which will require six months of indoor construction.
If that plan comes to fruition, it will allow MW to open the new restaurant as early as January 2027. Kohler is excited about the new eatery, which will feature All-American-style cuisine, paired with beverages from Rough Edges Brewery, which will operate a satellite location there. “It will be a modern restaurant with a full commercial kitchen,” Kohler said. He mentioned that the owner has 20 years of restaurant management experience. “Eric knows how to run a restaurant.”
Kohler envisions the aesthetic nature of the new venue. “It’s a prime location next to the park. People can spend time outdoors during an event or the farmer’s market while they wait for a table.” The doors to the new building will fold open in seasonable weather to add fresh air to the dining experience.
Don Smith is the architect for the project, and Kohler praised his work. “Don has partnered with us during multiple design changes; he’s invested in our project.”
Smith is a former Board President of Mainstreet Waynesboro and owns the local firm, Smith Company Design and Architecture (smithcoarch.com). He describes the new building as a hybrid Colonial, a style that complements the older connected structure as well as the surrounding eclectic historic buildings.
The new section of 21 E. Main Street uses modern materials that present a commercial storefront appearance. The building promises to have great lighting and be activity-oriented. The interior will also feature an elevator and exposed brick walls.
Once the restaurant is open, it will shift Mainstreet Waynesboro from a renter to an owner. Kohler estimates that renting the restaurant and office space will generate nearly $50,000 of yearly income, which will support the building and free up former rental fees for other projects.
When asked why people should contribute to the 21 E. Main Street project fund, Kohler said the new building will improve the quality of life for all Waynesboro citizens. “Supporting non-profits improves our community.” He also mentioned that the project continues the momentum that makes downtown a vibrant and sustainable destination, saying, “All ships rise with the tide.”
While Mainstreet is still pursuing grant funds and corporate donors (naming rights for the new building are still available), Kohler stressed that private donations have been a key component of fundraising. “Several local families have been very generous, but new contributors are always welcome. Donors can make a big difference downtown and leave a legacy,” Kohler said.
Mainstreet Waynesboro has built a track record of positive community programs and added resources during the past 28 years. The organization sponsors a full schedule of events, including the farmer’s market, live music in the park, the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, the Wizarding Weekend, and other family-friendly and adult festivities.
Employing his trademark enthusiasm, Kohler is devoting his energies to adding a signature building along Waynesboro’s main thoroughfare. The redevelopment project at 21 E. Main Street promises to be a significant element in a resurgent city center. “We want to make downtown the absolute best it can be,” Kohler said.
For more information on donating to the 21 E. Main Street project: click below to visit Mainstreet’s website (mainstreetwaynesboro.org), or call 717-762-0397.
