Raleigh, N.C. – The National Main Street Center®, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation has accredited 35 North Carolina communities for meeting performance standards. This year marks a 26% increase in communities that achieved accreditation. Each year, the National Main Street Center and its partners announce the accredited Main Street® programs that have demonstrated exemplary commitment to historic preservation and community revitalization.
The North Carolina Main Street communities that earned accreditation for their 2014 performance are: Albemarle, Belmont, Boone, Brevard, Burlington, Clayton, Clinton, Concord, Eden, Edenton, Elizabeth City, Elkin, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Goldsboro, Hertford, Hickory, Kings Mountain, Lenoir, Marion, Monroe, Morganton, Mount Airy, New Bern, North Wilkesboro, Roanoke Rapids, Roxboro, Salisbury, Smithfield, Spruce Pine, Statesville, Wake Forest, Washington, Waynesville and Wilson.
“These communities worked hard to meet the standards established by the National Main Street Center, and we are pleased to see them recognized for their achievement,” said John E. Skvarla, III, North Carolina Commerce Secretary. “Local Main Street programs across our state work every day to beautify our towns and bring businesses and jobs to their downtowns strengthening our overall economy.”
“We congratulate this year’s nationally accredited Main Streetprograms for their outstanding accomplishment in meeting the National Main Street Center’s 10 Standards of Performance,” said Patrice Frey, president & CEO of the National Main Street Center. “As the National Main Street Center celebrates its 35th Anniversary, it is also important to celebrate the achievements of the local Main Street programs across the country, some of which have been around since the beginning. These local programs work hard every day to make their communities great places to work, live, play and visit while still preserving their historic character.”
The performance standards set the benchmarks for measuring a community’s application of the Main Street Four Point Approach to commercial district revitalization. Standards include fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, tracking programmatic progress and actively preserving historic buildings. More information is available at National Main Street Accreditation.
“The North Carolina Main Street Center and five North Carolina Main Street communities were among those that have been around since the beginning and we join our national partner in celebrating the 35th anniversary of the program here in North Carolina” said Liz Parham, director of the North Carolina Main Street Center. “The North Carolina Main Street Center evaluates each of the state’s local Main Street organizations annually to identify those programs that meet ten performance standards.”
Since 1980, The North Carolina Main Street program has generated $2.2 billion in private and public investment. In 2014, North Carolina Main Street downtown districts generated 248 net new businesses, 110 business expansions in existing businesses, 1,011 net new jobs, 327 façade rehabilitations and 351 building rehabilitations. More than 104,246 volunteer hours were recorded.
For more information, contact Liz Parham, director of N.C. Main Street Center at 919-715-0527.
