Main Street Milton wins state awards at annual conference

[Main Street Milton]

Media Release

Main Street Milton, Inc.
(850) 626-6246; Fax: (850) 626-6230
www.MainStreetMilton.org

Media Contacts:
Josh Wilks, program manager, (850) 626-6246;
man...@mainstreetmilton.org
Joan Jefferson, Florida Main Street Coordinator, (850) 245-6345;
jsjef...@dos.state.fl.us

For Immediate Release September 22, 2010

Main Street Milton wins state awards at annual conference

MILTON – Main Street Milton celebrated its 10th anniversary last week
by winning two state awards from Florida Secretary of State Dawn K.
Roberts at the 25th Annual Main Street Conference held in Punta Gorda,
Fla. The conference brought together representatives and supporters
from dozens of Florida Main Street communities as well as
representatives from the national program.

“I am proud to recognize the activities and accomplishments of this
year’s honorees,” said Secretary Roberts. “Their sincere focus on
preservation and contributions to Main Street programs across the
state are essential to the revitalization of Florida’s traditional
commercial districts.”

The awards program encourages and acknowledges local Main Street
Program accomplishments that advance the goals of the Florida Main
Street Program. Florida Main Street is a technical assistance program
of the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical
Resources, Florida Department of State. The Bureau conducts statewide
programs aimed at identifying, evaluating, and preserving Florida's
historic resources. Main Street, with its emphasis on preservation, is
an effective strategy for achieving these goals in Florida's historic
retail districts.

Main Street Milton was recognized for the following awards:

• Outstanding Local Florida Main Street Program Supporter - Ryan Arvay
Ryan Arvay is a board member with Main Street Milton who worked with
local organizations to win nomination of downtown Milton as one of
Florida’s Eleven Most Endangered Places in Florida. Arvay has also
worked to save the 1936 Marquis Bayou Bridge on U.S. 90 from
demolition because of its historical significance as a gateway to
Milton and as one of the last Great Depression era Works Progress
Administration bridges on U.S. 90 in Florida.

• Outstanding Business of the Year - Blackwater Bistro
The Blackwater Bistro has been a tremendous success as a downtown
restaurant since its opening in 2009. The Bistro has fostered
appreciation for the downtown and brings hundreds or people to the
core of the historic district every week. The Bistro is located in a
historic building that was in threat of demolition after Hurricane
Dennis in 2005.

In addition to individual awards, Main Street Milton received a ten-
year anniversary award from the Secretary of State for remaining an
accredited program and striving to continue its work through economic
hardships.

“Main Street remains strong,” said Florida Main Street coordinator
Joan Jefferson. “Reinvestment in Main Street communities’ downtowns
(in Florida) since 1985 has exceeded $2.1 billion, with over 5,400 net
new businesses and 17,800 new jobs created.”

For more information on Main Street and its activities, visit
www.MainStreetMilton.org or call 626-6246.

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.

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