HGTV’s “Making over Minden”: One year after Home Town Kickstart

The popular HGTV renovation series Home Town spotlighted Minden, LA in the final episode of its Home Town Kickstart spinoff series on May 29, 2022. What happened after the makeovers by HGTV stars? Home Town is a top-10 cable program—did the national television exposure help Minden? Did the show deliver on its goal to “kickstart” the community revitalization?

Economic impact

Kickstart undoubtedly boosted Minden’s revitalization efforts, building on years of work. Minden has been a designated Louisiana Main Street community since 1987. With its charming brick streets and diverse business mix, downtown enjoyed very low vacancy rates and had seen strong progress over the years.

Reinvestment statistics reported to our office show that Kickstart generated strong investment downtown, both directly through the renovation projects and indirectly, as property owners spruced up in preparation for the TV cameras. From January through June 2022, downtown logged $308,192 in private and public investment, with three net new businesses and 8 net new jobs. Also, two previously vacant spaces have been put back into commerce.

One of those businesses is Parish Design Co., started by Rachel Miller, who helped nominate Minden for the HGTV show. “We’d been wanting to do it for a long time and decided to seize the moment of the show,” Miller said. “We’ve seen people from South Dakota, Minnesota, Texas, and Tennessee.” Miller located the business in a previously vacant space that had been used for storage. The building owners supported the idea, renovating the space and bringing it up to code. It’s now generating foot traffic and sales tax revenue for Minden.

Another vacant building downtown is being converted into lofts: the former Rock Hotel site/Peoples Bank building. A Louisiana Main Street Restoration Grant will support exterior restoration work on the building. Other upcoming projects include an ice cream shop, wine and cigar bar, and Brick Street Coffee.

Bottom line: Kickstart has accelerated Minden’s growth. “You see pride in downtown, and spaces getting some love,” said Miller. “I’m excited to see the long-term impact of what Kickstart did.”

Tourism Impact

Other towns featured in Home Town and its spin-offs have seen large increases in tourism. The executive director of the Webster Parish Convention & Visitors Commission, Serena Gray said, “We saw a big influx of visitors last spring when the show premiered, and we continue to see upticks whenever Minden’s episode is re-aired.”

Another person keeping tabs on visitation is Sara McDaniel, who worked with Miller to nominate Minden for Kickstart. “We have seen travelers coming from all over the country. They want to see places from the show,” said McDaniel. “Our proximity to Laurel, MS helps—we get visitors going to multiple communities featured in Home Town.” She’s working to develop Minden as a destination. McDaniel recently opened The Villas at Spanish Court, a boutique short-term rental located one block from the downtown district. “We’re creating opportunities and experiences to bring them to Minden and keep them here,” said McDaniel.

One of the show’s lasting impacts is Miller Quarters Park. Webster Parish CVB had already purchased 11 acres of overgrown property behind city hall, with plans for an outdoor space to host festivals and events. Gray pitched the idea to HGTV producers, and Miller Quarters was featured as the public space makeover. That was only the start. In March, the CVB announced that architecture students from Louisiana Tech University will create a master plan for the park. Tech’s Community Design Activism Center gives students hands-on experience and supports communities with design projects.

“Over time, these partnerships will strengthen the project and everyone will feel like they had a hand in it,” said Gray. The park’s first major event took place on April 22 with the Scottish Tartan Festival.

Moving forward

“There’s a lot of positive things happening in Minden,” said Mahala Hutto, who retired as Minden Main Street director in February. “Young people are getting involved and moving it forward.” However the success of Home Town Kickstart is bittersweet. Mayor Terry Gardner was diagnosed with cancer shortly before the premiere and passed away just a month later. Gardner’s company had rehabilitated several downtown buildings, and he’s featured on the show.

But this work is inspiring others. “We’re seeing people step up,” said Miller. “The show has inspired locals who cared about Minden but didn’t know where to start.” The work of revitalization never truly ends. McDaniel said, “We’re not done yet. There’s still a lot of work to be done. I truly feel like we’re just getting started."

By Amanda Lanata, Assistant Director of Louisiana Main Street

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