Each year, the National Trust and its partners announce the list of accredited MainStreet programs that have built strong revitalization organizations and demonstrated their ability in using the MainStreet Four-Point Approach methodology for strengthening their local economy and protecting their historic buildings.
“We congratulate this year’s nationally accredited MainStreet programs for meeting our established performance standards,” says Doug Loescher, director of the National Trust MainStreet Center. “Accredited MainStreet programs are meeting the challenges of the recession head on and are successfully using a focused, comprehensive revitalization strategy to keep their communities vibrant and sustainable.”
The organization’s performance is annually evaluated by Tennessee MainStreet, which works in partnership with the National Trust MainStreet Center to identify the local programs that meet 10 performance standards.
The standards set the benchmarks for measuring an individual MainStreet program’s application of the MainStreet Four-Point Approach to commercial district revitalization.
Evaluation criteria determine the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such as developing a mission, fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, tracking economic progress, and preserving historic buildings. For more information on the national program accreditation program, visit http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/about-main-street/the-programs/national-programs.html.
MainStreet Cleveland’s most recent project was the addition of the park and additional parking on First Street; it was a joint venture with the city of Cleveland.
According to Sharon Marr, executive director, “First Street Square has been a catalyst for downtown retail with 10 businesses now surrounding the park. Five of these businesses opened in 2011 including Catch Bar & Grill, a seafood restaurant; Hyderhangout Quilt Fabric & More; Ever After Bridal and Formal Wear; The Red Ribbon, and Cleveland Billiards Club.
“These new businesses join Trail Head Bicycle Company, Wheeler Electronics, Static Hair Salon, Cleveland Creative Arts Guild, and the Museum Center; all are located in the Five Points area,” Marr said.
MainStreet Cleveland is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and revitalization of downtown Cleveland. The mission is to create an environment for growth, development and design enhancements of the business, residential and government areas of downtown Cleveland, to preserve and protect the historic significance of existing sites and to promote this progress to citizens and visitors.
The organization was accepted into the national MainStreet program in 1990 and was one of the first MainStreet programs in the state. Each year since 1991 Cleveland has earned recognition for commercial district revitalization by meeting standards for performance set by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National MainStreet Center. Cleveland joins 24 other Tennessee communities nationally recognized as Accredited Main Street Programs.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places to enrich our future. Visit www.PreservationNation.org.
Established in 1980, the National Trust MainStreet 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 MainStreet program has leveraged more than $53.6 billion in new public and private investment.
Participating MainStreet 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 MainStreet district revitalization efforts.
