Main Street Washington wins accreditation

Main Street Washington has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America program for meeting a high-bar set of 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.

Main Street Washington’s performance is annually evaluated by Main Street Iowa, 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. They include standards like fostering strong public-private partnerships, supporting small and locally-owned businesses, and actively preserving historic places, spaces, and cultural assets.

Since 2008, Main Street Washington has tracked over 51 new business starts or relocations into downtown, 116 net new jobs, 101 construction projects, almost $17 million of private money invested in projects and property acquisition, and over 22,000 volunteer hours invested in making downtown a vibrant and diverse place to live, work, and play.

Main Street Washington is proud to have received two major grants in the last year, including the $100,000 Challenge Grant for Winga’s Café rehabilitation and the recent announcement of the $300,000 Downtown Housing Grant to add four new housing units into Downtown.