The N.C. Department of Commerce Main Street Center announced today that 25 of the state’s local Main Street organizations have been designated as accredited National Main Street Programs for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Trust Main Street Center®.
North Carolina’s 2012 accredited programs are Albemarle, Brevard, Burlington, Clayton, Concord, Edenton, Elizabeth City, Garner, Goldsboro, Hendersonville, Hickory, Lenoir, Lexington, Lincolnton, Monroe, Morganton, New Bern, Newton, North Wilkesboro, Salisbury, Shelby, Statesville, Wake Forest, Waynesville and Wilson.
“We congratulate this year’s nationally accredited Main Street programs,” said Keith Crisco, N.C. Secretary of Commerce. “These cities and towns understand that a prosperous, sustainable community is only as healthy as its core. Even in these tough economic times, these cities are using a comprehensive strategy to keep their downtowns thriving.”
“North Carolina’s Accredited Main Street programs are to be honored for their achievement,” said Liz Parham, director of urban development at the N.C. Department of Commerce which oversees the NC Main Street program. “It’s important to recognize the efforts of local Main Street programs that work every day to bring jobs and businesses to their downtowns, and, in turn, strengthen the overall economy of their communities.”
Despite the slow economy, N.C. Main Street downtowns experienced a net gain of 216 businesses and 787 jobs during the last fiscal year. This period also saw 77 business expansions and 247 major building renovations. Local Main Street programs reported more than $211 million combined public and private investment for the last fiscal year.
The state’s local organizations are evaluated annually by the N.C. Main Street Center, which works in partnership with the National Trust Main Street Center to identify the local programs that meet 10 performance standards. These standards set the benchmarks for measuring an individual Main Street program’s application of the Main Street Four-Point Approach® to commercial district revitalization.
There are 764 Main Street communities in the United States and other countries that have earned national accreditation this year.
Established in 1980, the National Trust Main Street Center helps communities of all sizes revitalize their older and historic commercial districts. Working in more than 2,200 downtowns and urban neighborhoods over the last 30 years, the Main Street program has leveraged more than $53.6 billion in new public and private investment. Participating communities have created 448,835 net new jobs and 104,961 net new businesses, and rehabilitated more than 229,164 buildings, leveraging an average of $18 in new investment for every dollar spent on their Main Street district revitalization efforts, making the Main Street program one of the most successful economic development strategies in America.
For more information about the Accreditation Standards, visit www.preservationnation.org/main-street.