Downtown Florence revitalization efforts earn national accreditation

The City Grille is located on West Evans in downtown Florence, pictured here on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009.

By: From local reports | SCNow
Published: June 19, 2009

Downtown Florence revitalization efforts have earned national accreditation as a 2009 National Main Street Program.

“We congratulate this year’s nationally accredited Main Street programs for meeting our established performance standards,” Doug Loescher, director of the National Trust Main Street Center, said. “Rebuilding a district’s economic health and maintaining that success requires broad-based community involvement and support, as well as establishing a strong organization that is committed to long-term success.”

The revitalization efforts of Florence Downtown Development Corp. were recently evaluated by the agency and found to meet its stringent standards for accreditation.

Those standards include having broad-based community support for the commercial district revitalization process with strong support from both the public and private sectors; a developed vision and mission statements relevant to community conditions and to the local Main Street program’s organizational stage; a comprehensive Main Street work plan, an active board of directors and committees; an adequate operating budget; a paid professional program manager; and current membership in the National Main Street Network membership program.

The corporation also had to possess and exhibit a historic preservation ethic, conduct a program of ongoing training for staff and volunteers and report key statistics.

Evaluation criteria identifies the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts.

“Receiving this national accreditation puts the FDDC in very prestigious company and validates that we are taking a comprehensive, historic-preservation based approach to downtown revitalization,” Florence Downtown Development Corp. Chairman Pete Mazzaroni said.

Since 1980, the National Trust Main Street Center has assisted hundreds of the nation’s downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts in reclaiming the unique quality of life that a thriving community center provides. Through the Main Street approach, which combines historic preservation and economic development, the center has forged a nationwide movement for the revival of America’s historic and traditional commercial districts.

For more information on the accreditation program, visit www.mainstreet.org/nationalprograms online.