Greenville is among the communities in Mississippi have been designated as accredited Main Street America programs for meeting rigorous performance standards set by the National Main Street Center and the Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA):
“We take pride in the accreditation,” said Daniel Boggs, Greenville Main Street Executive Director. “The National Main Street Center and MMSA set standards for affiliates to make sure we continually provide support to the downtown area in ways that are relevant and that continue to show growth for the downtown community. To be accredited means our program is sufficient to meet the needs of downtown businesses and events.”
Each year, the National Main Street Center and its Coordinating Program partners announce the list of accredited Main Street America programs in recognition of their exemplary commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach.
Boggs said Greenville Main Street is affiliated with both the state and national programs.
“We recertify with the state every year,” Boggs said. “The national program’s accreditation recognizes that we have the capacity and the partnership to support those programs on a national level.”
The Mississippi Main Street Association is proud of all the nationally accredited programs in the state.
"Receiving National Main Street accreditation is a prestigious designation and we congratulate each of these cities in Mississippi for this achievement," said Ed Gardner, MMSA Board President. "Main Street programs play a strategic role in making Mississippi more competitive by being a catalyst for economic development."
“We are proud to acknowledge this year’s 840 nationally accredited Main Street America programs that have worked tirelessly to strengthen their communities," said Patrice Frey, President and CEO of the National Main Street Center. “These programs deserve recognition for generating impressive economic returns, preserving community character, and celebrating local history. Main Street America Accredited communities are part of a powerful movement of changemakers, and their dedication to improving quality of life in the places they call home is inspiring."
In 2018 alone, Main Street America programs generated $4.93 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 5,310 net new businesses, generated 25,301 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 8,146 historic buildings, and clocked 2.2 million volunteer hours.
MMSA staff evaluate each local Main Street organization’s performance annually and works in partnership with the National Main Street Center to identify the local programs that meet the 10 performance standards. Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such as fostering strong public-private partnerships, documenting programmatic progress, and actively preserving historic buildings.
In 2018, Mississippi Main Street cities generated 247 net new businesses, 68 business expansions to existing businesses, 1,225 net new jobs, 84 façade rehabilitations and 309 downtown residential units. More than 45,312 volunteer hours were recorded.
MMSA currently has 53 active Main Street programs that includes 47 Main Street communities and six downtown network members.
About Mississippi Main Street Association
Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA) has been improving the quality of life in Mississippi for 35 years by developing Mississippi's downtowns. Main Street is an economic development program based in historic preservation. The mission of the Mississippi Main Street Association is to provide visionary leadership, guidance and counsel to Mississippi Main Street communities through organization, promotion, design and economic development to make our cities and towns better places to work, live and play. Since 1993, MMSA has generated more than $5.4 billion in private and public investment (including nearly $1.3 billion in public investment), 38,097 net new jobs, 5,881 net new businesses, rehabilitated 3,377 buildings and added 3,185 downtown residential units. MMSA is a program of the National Main Street Center, with many public and private partners.
About Main Street America
Main Street America has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for more than 35 years. Today, it is a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Since 1980, communities participating in the program have leveraged more than $79.12 billion in new public and private investment, generated 640,017 net new jobs and 143,613 net new businesses, and rehabilitated more than 284,936 buildings. Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
