Sunday, June 16, 2002
|
Sunday, June 16, 2002 |
|
Main Street gets national recognition The efforts of Fayetteville Main Street have earned it recognition for excellence in the field of downtown revitalization by meeting standards for performance set by the Georgia Main Street Program and the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Main Street Center, joining 402 other Main Street revitalization programs designated as National Main Street Communities for 2002. The national designation program annually evaluates commercial district revitalization programs based on strict criteria such as broad based public support, historic preservation ethic, active board of directors, adequate funding, a paid professional manager and reporting of economic progress by providing statistical information. The program's performance was evaluated by the Georgia Main Street Program, which is the statewide coordinating organization for Main Street programs in Georgia. "A successful, well-run Main Street program creates a vibrant district of many uses, where people come not only to shop, but increasingly to work and live. By stimulating economic vitality and focusing on reusing historic buildings, it creates a place that defines the community," said Kennedy Smith, director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Main Street Center. "The criteria for designation reflect activities of a well balanced program. A National Main Street Community is one that meets our standards of performance for a Main Street organization. Designation for Fayetteville Main Street as a National Main Street Community reflects its performance against those criteria as a commercial district revitalization initiative." "We are extremely proud to receive this designation," said Main Street Board Chairman Robert Sprayberry. "It is just an example of how far we have come since Fayetteville first received its designation in 1996. We are excited about what has been accomplished, and also about the future of the Main Street program." Fayetteville Main Street will be honored along with other Georgia Main Street cities at a special awards ceremony at the statewide conference for Georgia Municipal Association in Savannah later in June. The Main Street program in Georgia is a successful partnership between the Georgia Main Street Program and the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Main Street Center. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable. Recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the Trust provides leadership, education and advocacy to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize communities. Its Washington, D.C. headquarters staff, six regional offices and 21 historic sites work with the Trust's quarter-million members and thousands of local community groups in all 50 states. For more information, visit the National Trust's web site at www.nationaltrust.org .
|
||