Main Street Mt. Pleasant is officially Accredited

MT. PLEASANT — Mt. Pleasant’s very own Main Street program received accreditation status from Main Street America this past year.

This not an insignificant feat.

According to the Main Street America website, “Main Street America is a special mark of distinction. It is a seal, recognizing that participating programs, organizations, and communities are part of a national movement with a proven track record for celebrating community character, preserving local history, and generating impressive economic returns.”

Main Street Mt. Pleasant’s mission statement says that they “aim to bridge preservation of our downtown’s historic character with the activities and qualities that enhance community vitality, including promotion of upper-story residential units in the Main Street district.”

“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 down towns and commercial districts,” said Patrice Frey, President and CEO of Main Street America.

Main Street America programs are incredibly beneficial to the communities they serve.

Overall Main Street America created $5.76 billion in local reinvestment.

They assist in opening new businesses, creating new jobs, rehabilitate historic buildings, and cultivate communities full of volunteerism.

New businesses such as Great River Popcorn, The Grange, and Etc. continue to strengthen their footprints in the Mt. Pleasant community thanks to event hosted by Main Street Mt. Pleasant.

Some of the events Main Street has hosted this past year include: Cinco De Mayo celebrations, Mother’s Day Tea, Music on Main, Pizza Wars, Small Business Saturday, and a National that Sucks Day party.

These events have given new and established businesses the opportunity to open their doors and connect with the community and create relationships that will further their business ventures.

In order to be named an accredited Main Street program, Mt. Pleasant’s submits to an annual evaluation by Main Street Iowa.

There are 10 high standards that uphold the mission of Main Street Programs and Main Street Mt. Pleasant has met all of them on their way to accreditation.

Because Main Street programs are designed to not only help down towns flourish with small business, but also maintain their rich and diverse histories, one of the requirements is that each program has a broad-based community support.

Main Street Mt. Pleasant establishes this through the involvement of businesses, schools, city council members, residents, and other varied volunteer members.

Main Street Iowa’s evaluation of Main Street Mt. Pleasant determined that this local program also meets the requires of having a written concise mission statement and comprehensive work plan to address design, organization, promotion, and economic restructuring of the downtown district.

With the assistance of an active city council, $15,000 were made available this last year for the Main Street Mt. Pleasant Exterior Improvements Grants.

These grants are available for downtown building exterior improvements to help preserve the history of downtown Mt. Pleasant, which keeps with yet another requirement for Main Street America’s rigorous national performance standards of possessing a historic preservation ethic.

Main Street Mt. Pleasant executive director leads the charge for meeting national standards in this local program.

“It is an honor to be accredited by Main Street America. Not every program gets accredited,” Oetken said. “Main Street America and Main Street Iowa provide much needed support and networking opportunities. It is like being a part of a large family. They are their to help you when you need it and also their to celebrate your successes as a program.”

Main Street Mt. Pleasant fulfills the role of support and small-town family at the local level with ongoing training for staff and volunteers, reporting key statistics, and bringing the area into the larger network of Main Street programs.

For 20 years, Main Street has served the downtown Mt. Pleasant area.

This particular local chapter of the program has seen over $23 million in private investment in the downtown, 70 new businesses, 62 new downtown housing units, and over 56,000 volunteer hours to make it all possible.

Mt. Pleasant has a lively downtown, and the accredited Main Street Mt. Pleasant program plans to continue investing in the community they care so deeply about.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com