Media Release: Main Street Milton Receives National Accreditation

[Main Street Milton]

MEDIA RELEASE

Main Street Milton, Inc.
P.O. Box 821, Milton, FL 32572
www.MainStreetMilton.org

Media Contact: Josh Wilks, Program Manager
Tel: 485-4998 or Man...@MainStreetMilton.org

August 2, 2010 For Immediate Release

MAIN STREET MILTON RECEIVES NATIONAL ACCREDITATION

MILTON – Main Street Milton has been designated as an accredited
National Main Street Program for meeting the commercial district
revitalization performance standards set by the National Trust Main
Street Center. Each year, the National Trust and its partners announce
the list of accredited Main Street® programs that have built strong
revitalization organizations and demonstrate their ability in using
the Main Street Four-Point Approach® methodology for strengthening
their local economy and protecting their historic buildings.

“We congratulate this year’s nationally accredited Main Street
programs for meeting our established performance standards,” says Doug
Loescher, director of the National Trust Main Street Center.
“Accredited Main Street programs are meeting the challenges of the
recession head on and are successfully using a focused, comprehensive
revitalization strategy to keep their communities vibrant and
sustainable.”

The organization’s performance is annually evaluated by Florida Main
Street, which works in partnership with the National Trust Main Street
Center to identify the local programs that meet 10 performance
standards. These standards set the benchmarks for measuring an
individual Main Street program’s application of the Main Street Four-
Point Approach® to commercial district revitalization. Evaluation
criteria determines the communities that are building comprehensive
and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such as
developing a mission, fostering strong public-private partnerships,
securing an operating budget, tracking economic progress, and
preserving historic buildings. For more information on the national
program accreditation program, visit www.mainstreet.org/nationalprograms.
Main Street Milton brings thousands of people to Downtown Milton
through its annual events such as Scratch Ankle Festival, First
Fridays, Haunted House, and Summer Concerts in the Park. Main Street
works with businesses and volunteers to promote and preserve the
downtown area through advocacy, education and promotion. Main Street
Milton is downtown Milton’s official revitalization support
organization.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation
(www.PreservationNation.org) is a nonprofit membership organization
bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that
matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history
– and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the
National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize
neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote
environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, D.C.,
eight regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner
organizations in 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia,
the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership,
education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people,
organizations and local communities committed to saving places,
connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of
America’s stories.

Established in 1980, the National Trust Main Street Center® helps
communities of all sizes revitalize their older and historic
commercial districts. Working in more than 2,200 downtowns and urban
neighborhoods over the last 30 years, the Main Street program has
leveraged more than $48.9 billion in new public and private
investment. Participating communities have created 417,919 net new
jobs and 94,176 net new businesses, and rehabilitated more than
214,263 buildings, leveraging an average of $27 in new investment for
every dollar spent on their Main Street district revitalization
efforts.

###

About Main Street Milton: Serving as the official revitalization
organization for downtown Milton, Fla., Main Street Milton is a non-
profit organization funded through public and private funds. Main
Street Milton has been awarded on a state level for various successes.
The Main Street “four point approach” is a comprehensive strategy
tailored to meet local needs and opportunities in four areas combined
to address all of the commercial district’s needs. Those areas include
Design, Economic Restructuring, Promotion, and Organization. The
“Main Street Approach” is a proven revitalization technique, which has
fostered the revitalization of hundreds of downtowns of all sizes.