This article originally appeared on the NC Department of Commerce website. You can view the article in its original format by clicking this link.
RALEIGH, N.C. - The National Main Street Center has designated 42 North Carolina communities as accredited Main Street America™ programs for 2023, the North Carolina Department of Commerce announced today. Each year, the national group and the Commerce department’s Main Street & Rural Planning Center recognize communities demonstrating exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™.
“The North Carolina Main Street programs have once again met the rigorous standards of the National Main Street Center,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “Our local Main Street programs help drive North Carolina’s economy by working with Commerce’s community developers to increase the economic vitality of their downtown districts, helping attract new jobs, more small businesses, and additional investment across the state.”
The following communities that have earned national Main Street accreditation for their 2022 performance: Albemarle, Asheboro, Belmont, Brevard, Cherryville, Concord, Elizabeth City, Elkin, Fuquay-Varina, Goldsboro, Hendersonville, Hickory, Laurinburg, Lenoir, Lexington, Lumberton, Marion, Monroe, Mooresville, Morehead City, Morganton, Mount Airy, New Bern, Newton, Reidsville, Roanoke Rapids, Roxboro, Salisbury, Sanford, Shelby, Spruce Pine, Statesville, Sylva, Tarboro, Tryon, Wake Forest, Washington, Waxhaw, Waynesville, Whiteville, Williamston, and Wilson.
The Main Street & Rural Planning Center works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet the performance standards. To quality for national accreditation status, communities must demonstrate a commitment to building grassroots revitalization programs, fostering strong public-private partnerships, nurturing economic opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and actively preserving historic places, spaces, and cultural assets.
“We are very proud to acknowledge this year’s 862 Accredited Main Street America programs, and their steadfast dedication to nurture economically and culturally vibrant downtown districts,” said Hannah White, Interim President & CEO of Main Street America. “The increase in the size and impact of our network speaks volumes to the power of the Main Street movement to respond to the needs of local communities and drive innovative solutions.”
“The list of nationally accredited communities demonstrates the necessary hard work to build sustainable organizations that spur investment, business development, and job creation” said Liz Parham, Director of the N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center.
Since 1980, N.C. Main Street programs have leveraged $4.52 billion in private and public investment. In 2022, N.C. Main Street downtown districts generated 301 net new businesses, 1,941 net new jobs, 360 façade rehabilitations, 303 building rehabilitations, and recorded 103,277 volunteer hours.
For more information, visit the N.C. Main Street webpage or contact Liz Parham at 919-814-4658.
About Main Street America:
Main Street America leads a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. For more than 43 years, Main Street America has provided a practical, adaptable, and impactful framework for community-driven, comprehensive revitalization through the Main Street Approach™. Our network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Since 1980, communities participating in the program have generated more than $101.58 billion in new public and private investment, generated 168,693 net new businesses and 746,897 net new jobs, rehabilitated more than 325,119 buildings, and levered over 33.7 million volunteer hours. Main Street America is a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit mainstreet.org.
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