Milledgeville Main Street/ Downtown Development Authority has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America™ program for meeting rigorous performance standards. Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the list of Accredited programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™.
“We are extremely proud to recognize this year’s 863 nationally Accredited Main Street America programs that have worked tirelessly to advance economic vitality and quality of life in their downtowns and commercial districts,” said Patrice Frey, President and CEO of Main Street America. “During another incredibly challenging year, these programs demonstrated the power of the Main Street movement to respond to the needs of their communities. I am inspired by their steadfast leadership and innovative solutions to drive essential local recovery efforts, support small businesses, and nurture vibrant downtown districts.”
In 2021, Main Street America programs generated $5.76 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,601 net new businesses, generated 30,402 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,595 historic buildings, and leveraged 1,427,729 volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, it generated $19.34 of new investment back into Main Street communities.
The Milledgeville Main Street’s performance is annually evaluated by Georgia Main Street, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet rigorous national performance standards. Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building meaningful and sustainable revitalization programs and include standards such as, fostering strong public-private partnerships, supporting small and locally owned businesses, and actively preserving historic places, spaces, and cultural assets.
Main Street Director Carlee Schulte explains, “This accreditation is an annual accolade that Milledgeville has received since our inception in 1985. The other great thing that we are proud of is that our state program, Georgia Main Street has also awarded us, for the last 6 years, as a Georgia’s Exceptional Main Street Program. We are a great example of for other Main Street communities and we are very proud of both of these accolades each year.”
Milledgeville Main Street/ Downtown Development Authority’s mission is to inspire public and private investment in the revitalization, preservation, and promotion of the downtown business district in order to strengthen the economic base of Milledgeville-Baldwin County.
– Contributed