The Indiana Main Street program has been helping communities revitalize their downtowns for nearly 30 years. This program has brought billions of dollars of investment, thousands of new jobs and countless rehabilitation, construction and housing projects to communities across the state.
Shelbyville has one of our strongest Main Street programs, and I saw their success firsthand when I visited the Sugar Coated Cakery last week. Shelbyville has received the National Main Street Center’s National Accreditation, the highest designation a Main Street organization can receive. Motivated local leaders have pursued every opportunity to make the greatest, positive impact on Shelbyville. Their work has won competitive grants to fund critical downtown revitalization, including façade improvements and marketing promotions.
Last year, their work to renovate and rebuild their downtown area brought 9 new businesses and 61 new jobs. Other businesses have relocated and expanded downtown; reinvigorating the area to be the hub for business and community it was meant to be. They are benefiting from the wide variety of events Main Street Shelbyville helps put on every year, including an outstanding farmer’s market.
Shelbyville is leading by example, and I hope we will see many more communities follow in their footsteps. Whether that means reinvigorating a stagnant Main Street program or organizing to qualify for the program for the first time, communities have nothing to loose and a vibrant downtown to gain.
No comments:
Post a Comment