Last Updated on June 3, 2021 2:02 pm
Boone, NC June 3, 2021 – Downtown Boone Development Association has been designated as an accredited Main Street™ program for meeting rigorous 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 proud to recognize this year’s 889 nationally accredited Main Street programs that have worked tirelessly to advance economic vitality and quality of life in their downtowns and commercial districts,” said Patrice Frey, President & CEO of Main Street America. “During an incredibly challenging year, these programs demonstrated the power of the Main Street movement to drive impressive local recovery efforts, champion small businesses, and foster vibrant downtown districts. I am inspired by their hard work and confident that these accredited communities will continue to help their downtowns flourish in the next stages of recovery.”
In 2020, Main Street America programs generated $4.14 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 4,356 net new businesses, generated 14,988 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 8,488 historic buildings, and clocked 983,702 volunteer hours.
The Downtown Boone Development Association’s performance is annually evaluated by the NC Main Street and Rural Planning Center, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet 10 national performance standards. Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building meaningful and sustainable revitalization programs and include standards such as, fostering strong public-private partnerships, documenting programmatic progress, and actively preserving historic buildings.
In 2020, Downtown Boone, had $1,686,000 in property acquisitions and sales, $2,129,840 in private investment and $186,800 in public investment, all while clocking in 380 volunteer hours.
Downtown Boone Development Association
Downtown Boone serves as the concierge to an elevated experience for both locals and visitors. Home to the largest University in western North Carolina, Appalachian State University, tucked against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge mountains, downtown is the first-place destination for Boone residents after home and work and the beginning point for all adventures!
The Downtown Boone Development Association’s mission in part is to promote the historic preservation, protection and use of Boone’s traditional downtown area, including the area’s commercial, civic, and religious enterprises and residences and to encourage property owners to maintain, improve and beautify downtown properties.
ABOUT MAIN STREET AMERICA
Main Street America has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for 40 years. Today, it is a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development Since 1980, communities participating in the program have leveraged more than $89.57 billion in new public and private investment, generated 687,321 net new jobs and 154,435 net new businesses, and rehabilitated more than 303,836 buildings. Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit www.mainstreet.org.
