LYON COUNTY, KANSAS

 

Main Street Receives Accreditation

Emporia Main Street, Incorporated has been designated an accredited National Main Street Program for meeting the commercial district revitalization standards set by the National Trust Main Street Center. Emporia Main Street joins 650 other Main Street revitalization programs nationally recognized as 2007 Accredited National Main Street Programs. Each year, the National Trust and its partners announce the accredited Main Street programs that have demonstrated their ability to follow the Main Street methodology and have built strong revitalization organizations.

“Nationally accredited Main Street programs meet our establish performance standards,” says Doug Loesher, director of the National Trust Main Street Center. “Rebuilding a district’s economic health and maintaining that success requires broad-based community involvement and support in addition to establishing a solid organization with sound management that is committed to long-term success.”

The National Trust Main Street Center works in partnership with Coordinating Main Street Programs throughout the nation to identify the local programs that meet the National Trust’s 10 basic performance standards. These standards set the benchmarks for measuring and individual Main Street program’s application of the Main Street Four-Point Approach to commercial district revitalization. Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such as developing a mission, fostering strong public-private partnership, securing an operating budget, tracking economic progress, and preserving historic buildings. For more information on the National Program accreditation program, visit www.mainstreet.org/nationalprograms.

The organization’s performance was evaluated by Kansas Main Street, which is the coordinating organization for Main Street programs in Kansas.

“One of the most exciting things happening in downtown Emporia was the creation of the entrepreneur class, this class not only helped existing businesses, but helped identify individuals that were interested in starting a new business in downtown. The information the class provided and the creation of the Trusler Loan Program for downtown is a winning combination that will certainly help strengthen Emporia’s downtown district” said Jeanne Stinson, State Coordinator of the Kansas Main Street program.

Established in 1980, the National Trust Main Street Center helps communities of all sizes revitalize their traditional historic commercial districts. The Main Street Center leads the preservation-based community revitalization movement and has proven that historic preservation and community-driven economic development effects lasting change. Currently active in more than 1,150 downtowns and neighborhood business districts, Main Street programs have generated more than $41.6 billion in new investment since 1980. Participating communities have created 349,148 net new jobs, 77,799 net new businesses, and rehabilitated more than 186,820 buildings, leveraging an average of $25.76 in new investment for every dollar spent of Main Street initiatives.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to saving historic places and revitalizing America’s communities. Recipient of the National Humanities Medals, the Trust was founded in 1949 and provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to protect the irreplaceable places that tell America’s story. Staff at the Washington, D.C., headquarters, six regional offices and 28 historic sites work with the Trust’s 270,000 members and thousands of preservation groups in all 50 states. For more information, visit the Trust’s website at www.nationaltrust.org.

(Emporia Gazette ~ Tuesday, 16 October 2007)