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By National Main Street Center | From Main Street Story of the Week | May 1, 2017 |
The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced Renaissance Covington, Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants and Business Association, and West Chester Business Improvement District, as the three winners of the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) during its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The awards were made possible through support from PNC Bank.
“The 2017 GAMSA winners showcase the realized potential of commercial district revitalization,” said Patrice Frey, president and CEO of the National Main Street Center. “Whether it’s attracting independent businesses, repurposing historic buildings or cultivating a thriving food scene, this year’s winners all understand the importance of growing communities that value historic preservation while supporting the changing shift in population and trends.”
Renaissance Covington, Ky.
GAMSA - Covington, KY from NOTICE PICTURES on Vimeo.
Made up of 19 neighborhoods and commercial districts, Covington is situated south of the Ohio River and Cincinnati. The area features a casual mix of Midwestern strength and Southern charm and has developed a flourishing creative population. Brimming with beautiful Italianate brick buildings, the district has seen an influx of new independent businesses and insatiable demand for downtown residential units over the past few years.
“Downtown Covington’s resurgence has been a long time in the making,” said Katie Meyer, executive director, Renaissance Covington. “There are several critical partners who have contributed to the development’s success and this award reflects all the individuals’ and entities’ hard work.”
Established in 2003, Renaissance Covington has played a key role in spearheading efforts that integrate small business with creative public space projects to encourage civic engagement and Main Street revival. Since 2010, over 40 new businesses have opened in formerly vacant storefronts. Many storefront’s upper floors have also transitioned into urban lofts. Since 2003, vacancy rates have also dropped from 26 percent to five percent and the district has also added 790 jobs.
Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants and Business Association, New Orleans, La.
GAMSA - OC Haley - FINAL from NOTICE PICTURES on Vimeo.
Located in New Orleans, Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard’s revival reflects the city’s resilience. Once a bustling Jewish and African-American corridor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and a hub for civil rights activism in the 1960s, the boulevard fell into decline in the 1970s. In 1995, the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants & Business Association was established to help revive the area following interest in a local arts center and coffee shop. Since then, the association has helped reinvigorate the 12-block long commercial district into a robust community that not only celebrates New Orleans’ culture of jazz heritage and great cuisine, but also features renovated historic churches, schools and homes serving local residents.
“We are pleased that our collaborative efforts have helped transform the area from a majority of vacant structures to being mostly occupied,” said Linda Pompa, executive director, Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants & Business Association. “Since 1995, we’ve reduced the vacancy rate from 48 percent to just 17 percent in 2016. Through key partnerships and collaboration with committed developers and neighborhood stakeholders, we've come a long way.”
The neighborhood within the city is steeped in social activism. The boulevard’s namesake Oretha Castle Haley played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement and helped organize the 1960 boycott of businesses refusing to hire Black sales clerks right on the boulevard. Post Hurricane Katrina, the community also rallied together to rebuild into a thriving cultural and commercial destination that was featured in The New York Times travel section in 2016.
West Chester Business Improvement District, Pa.
GAMSA - West Chester, PA from NOTICE PICTURES on Vimeo.
At just 1.8-square miles, West Chester is a lush green town that packs in a thriving food scene, a vibrant college population and 200 years of history. Nestled in the Brandywine Valley, the town has 4,200 structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places, including a collection designed by Thomas U. Walter, an American architect who is also one of the architects of the Capitol in Washington D.C.
Since 2000, under the leadership of the West Chester Business Improvement District, the town has reduced the business vacancy rate from 22 percent to 4 percent, adding close to 250 new businesses and creating some 1,000 jobs for the area.
“It was a challenge to bring a new vitality to our downtown more than a decade ago so it’s especially rewarding to now gain recognition for our hard work,” said Malcolm Johnstone, executive director of West Chester BID. “The completion of the historic courthouse renovation and the opening of a new hotel and theater are just some visible signs of the area’s revitalization, but it truly was the partnership between local, regional and national organizations that helped West Chester flourish into a vibrant community.”
Growing together
When it comes to the hearts and souls of communities across America, Main Streets serve as a vital center of connection and revitalization. Together the 2017 GAMSA winners and semi-finalists have generated almost a billion dollars in public and private reinvestment, created 5,700 new jobs, opened 1,000 new business, rehabbed 1,400 buildings and clocked over 133,000 volunteer hours.
One to Watch
Volunteers come together for Downtown Community Action Day, an event held twice a year on a Saturday to beautify downtown.
The National Main Street Center also selected Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation (DGDC) in Goldsboro, North Carolina, as the 2017 “One to Watch”— a place that is making great strides in using the Main Street Approach to revitalize their downtown. Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation (DGDC) exemplifies the Main Street promise—transforming the once neglected and abandoned heart of the city into a thriving destination, beloved by residents and visitors alike. Downtown Goldsboro has leveraged resources and partnerships leading to almost $13 million in streetscape improvements, and has cultivated a dynamic local business environment.
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American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Main Street America announced the winners of the 2018 Partners in Preservation: Main Streets campaign.
2018 Community Transformation Workshop Recap
An essential component of the Main Street America Institute, the three-day in-person workshop gives participants hands-on tools to enact revitalization projects in their communities.
A Statewide Movement Improving West Virginia Main Streets
Since 2013, Try This West Virginia has sought to improve health environments in local communities as a collaboration of organizations working together to combat the health challenges facing West Virginians.
Community Spotlight: Main Street Hampton
Main Street Hampton hosted a Food and Friends Farm-to-Table dinner at the Rustic Brew during Main Street Iowa Restaurant Week.
Community Spotlight: Partners in Preservation 2018
From community gathering spaces to retail incubators, from small towns to big cities – this year’s projects and communities are a testament to the diversity of Main Streets across the country.
Community Spotlight: Ames, Iowa
Downtown Ames hosted a festival for the 46th annual RAGBRAI race (The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa).
7 Ways To Bring Your Main Street On Screen
You don’t need to be a big-name district to make a video that goes viral; you just need to know what you’re doing.
Comcast Newsmakers: Revitalizing Downtown
Matt Wagner, National Main Street Center's Vice President of Revitalization Programs, discusses competitive advantages, incrementalism and the power of the Main Street America network
Community Spotlight: Main Street Homer, Louisiana
Main Street Homer (Homer, Louisiana) was awarded a $25,000 A Community Thrives social impact grant from Gannett/USA Today Network to create an arts center with affordable artist studios and classroom/event space.
Evolution, Acceptance, and Change: The Main Street Approach as a Catalyst for Revitalization
Nearly slated for demolition 30 years ago, downtown Cedar Falls has experienced an amazing transformation through its revitalization journey using the Main Street Approach.
Main Street Roots Run Deep in Downtown Wytheville
Since starting as Executive Director, Todd has helped the organization achieve Virginia Main Street Designation Status and national Accreditation.
Announcing the 2018 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center, Inc., announced Downtown Oregon City, Rock Springs Main Street/Urban Renewal Agency, and Howell Main Street as the 2018 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners during its annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
Main Streets in Action
We rolled out four new Main Street America videos highlighting the power of the Main Street movement, Main Street Approach, economic impact of Main Street, and the incredible volunteers that make Main Street's grassroots network so effective.
Community Spotlight: Ridgefield Main Street
Ridgefield Main Street is an energetic, up-and-coming Washington Main Street program located just north of Vancouver, Washington.
Want to do something big? Start small.
A series of small, incremental improvements, when taken together, provide momentum for long-term economic transformation and improved quality of life in a community.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: The Refresh from Our Communities’ Perspective
Here's a bit of background on each of the communities. Read on for the Refresh Implementation Q&A.
The Reality of Main Street — Letter from the President
The National Main Street Center and the Brookings Institution have jointly authored a response to Mr. Hyman’s piece, The Reality of Main Street, that is featured on Brookings’ blog.
Michigan Main Street Refresh Implementation: Our Process and Lessons Learned So Far
Michigan Main Street Center was the first Coordinating Program to implement the new Main Street approach on a large scale. In this article, they share their robust process and valuable lessons.
The Reality of Main Street
There is another way for smaller communities to compete in today’s economy and we believe a strong main street strategy is at the heart of it.
The Myth of Main Street? Letter from the President
Letter from past MSA President, Patrice Frey
The Lowdown in Downtown LaBelle
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Strategic Planning Through Transformation Strategies – Saline, Michigan
Back in October 2015, we introduced the three key components of the refreshed Main Street Approach: inputs, outputs and Community Transformation Strategies.
Revitalization and Main Street Transformation
For a lucky few downtowns, greatness may happen effortlessly with a strong sense of place that seems to develop organically and simply sustain itself. For most places, success doesn’t happen by chance.
Revisit Your Community’s Unique Assets: Connecting Asset-Based Economic Development to Community Transformation Strategies
This need for change results from the heavy emphasis on three components of the refreshed Main Street Approach.
The 2016 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The 2016 winners are a diverse group in geography and character, but together demonstrate the broad applicability of the Main Street Approach:
Main Street Nation Radio
The first official show under the Main Street Nation banner aired in June 2015 on WJR-760 AM Detroit.
The Path To The Future
The economic value of historic preservation on Main Street.
Refresh Demonstration Project Sites: Learning Labs for the Updated Main Street Approach
A series of demonstration projects providing the opportunity to test new strategies on the ground, learn from practitioners, and refine the approach.
Why Business Retention and Expansion Plans are Important for Downtowns
A business retention and expansion plan, properly implemented, not only helps keep businesses open but possibly even helps them expand.
Wisconsin Main Street: 27 Years of People, Places and Progress
While there have been over $1.2 billion in public and private investment in Wisconsin Main Street communities over the past 27 years, what really makes it special are the people and places that have been involved.
Pop-Up Art Tour
Main Street Bartow's empty storefronts become pop-up art galleries to promote economic development.
A Walk Through Rehoboth Beach Main Street
Although a “beach town,” Rehoboth Beach is open 365 days a year, and with that has the unique challenge of catering to both year-round residents and tourists within a wide range of ages, interests and economic levels
Independent We Stand Makes Main Streets a Priority
In communities across the country, hardworking business owners and buy local advocates come together to foster an organized effort to reinvent and revitalize Main Streets and downtown districts.
Announcing the 2015 Great American Main Street Award Winners
The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce that Cape Girardeau, Mo., Montclair Center, N.J., and Rawlins, Wyo. were selected as the 2015 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winners.
