Downtown Florence Receives National Main Street Accreditation
For Immediate Release
Downtown Florence Receives National Main Street Accreditation
Florence, SC (February 25, 2021) – Downtown Florence has been designated as an accredited Main Street America™ program for meeting rigorous performance standards set by the National Main Street Center. Accredited status is Main Street America’s top tier of recognition and signifies exemplary commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™.
Downtown Florence’s performance is evaluated by Main Street South Carolina which works in partnership with the National Main Street Center to identify local programs that meet national performance standards. Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such as fostering strong public-private partnerships, documenting programmatic progress and actively preserving historic buildings.
“Downtown Florence has successfully demonstrated their thoughtful, intentional approach to strengthening their community. As an accredited Main Street America program Downtown Florence is being recognized for generating strong economic returns, preserving community character and celebrating local history. Main Street America Accredited communities are part of a powerful, impactful movement of asset-based, placemaking economic development,” said Jenny Boulware, Main Street South Carolina Manager.
Over the past decade, Downtown Florence has seen tremendous growth—nearly a quarter of a billion dollars of private and public investment. It has also proven that application of the National Main Street Approach™ is an effective way to drive responsible and sustainable economic development initiatives in historic communities. Since many of the initiatives began in 2010, every $1 of City investment has yielded a cumulative $7 return in private investment. In 2020 alone, every $1 of City investment yielded $28 in private investment.
“We could not have accomplished this goal without the help our team, partners, investors, business owners, community leaders, citizens, volunteers, and comprehensive planning process. The Main Street Approach™ is a powerful holistic tool for transforming places, and this accomplishment isn’t just for Downtown Florence—it’s for the whole City. The ripple effect generated from targeted investment in the downtown redevelopment district is felt community-wide, through industry moving in and creating jobs, expansion of our medical and education facilities, quality of life for our residents, and generation of tourism revenue from visitors. We look forward to continuing our momentum, expanding our footprint, and playing a part in moving Florence forward,” says Hannah Davis, City of Florence Development Manager.
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About Main Street South Carolina
Since 1983 Main Street South Carolina has been helping revitalize South Carolina’s historic downtowns. Its local Main Street network of more than 25 communities share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through asset-based economic development. Main Street SC is a technical assistance program of the Municipal Association of South Carolina. Since 1980, communities participating in the program – nationwide – have leveraged more than $85 billion in new public and private investment, generated more than 672,000 new jobs and 150,000 new businesses, and rehabilitated more than 295,000 buildings.
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. It’s unique approach includes four points, Economic Vitality, Organization, Design, and Promotion driven by Transformation Strategies to renew economic vitality, celebrate a community’s historic character, and bring communities together. Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, Inc., a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Contact: Hannah L. Davis, Development Manager
Downtown Florence Receives National Main Street Accreditation Press Release PDF