Main Street receives certification

Main Street McMinnville joins 700 other Main Street revitalization programs nationally recognized as 2007 Accredited National Main Street Programs.

?The national accreditation means the Main Street program is meeting our national standards of performance for what a Main Street program should be doing,? said Doug Loescher, director of the National Trust?s Main Street program. ?The organizations we name each year as National Main Street Programs are those that have demonstrated the skills needed to succeed in Main Street revitalization.?

The annual accreditation process evaluates commercial district revitalization programs based on criteria ranging from having an active board of directors and paid professional managers to tracking economic progress and preserving historic Main Street buildings.

?Rebuilding a district?s economic health and maintaining that success requires broad-based community involvement, active support from both the public and private sectors, and sound management,? said Loescher. ?Having a solid organization at the foundation of that revitalization effort is so important to long term success.?

The organization?s performance was evaluated by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, which is the coordinating organization for Main Street programs in Tennessee.

There are over 1,900 Main Street communities across the nation of which 700 are certified. McMinnville is one of 20 certified in Tennessee. Main Street McMinnville has received the certification each consecutive year since 2000.

?Quality is important to the success of a downtown revitalization program. Accreditation serves as a basis for our achievements,? says Chris Wilson, executive director.