Gardiner Main Street Receives 2022 Main Street America Accreditation
Gardiner Main Street has once again been designated as an Accredited Main Street America™ 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 extremely proud to recognize this year’s 863 nationally Accredited Main Street America 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 another incredibly challenging year, these programs demonstrated the power of the Main Street movement to respond to the needs of their communities. I am inspired by their steadfast leadership and innovative solutions to drive essential local recovery efforts, support small businesses, and nurture vibrant downtown districts.”
In 2021, Main Street America programs generated $5.76 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,601 net new businesses, generated 30,402 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,595 historic buildings, and leveraged 1,427,729 volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, it generated $19.34 of new investment back into Main Street communities.
Gardiner Main Street’s performance is annually evaluated by the Maine Downtown Center, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet rigorous 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, supporting small and locally owned businesses, and actively preserving historic places, spaces, and cultural assets.
“For this second year of the pandemic, we were prepared and ready to adapt our events and program offerings and were happy to make meaningful impacts in our community in 2021,” said Melissa Lindley, Gardiner Main Street executive director.
The past year brought the return of public events like Swine & Stein Brewfest, Maine Craft Weekend, and the holiday Parade of Lights. The Gardiner’s Gardeners team of volunteers also worked hard to maintain the public gardens and planters downtown, and a new welcome wagon initiative was also created in 2021 to connect with the influx of new residents moving to Gardiner.
ABOUT GARDINER MAIN STREET
Gardiner Main Street partners with community members, downtown businesses, and the City of Gardiner to help to grow and sustain our historic downtown while celebrating our unique cultural heritage. Since 2002 Gardiner Main Street has been encouraging downtown economic and cultural vitality through concentrated efforts of organization, design, promotion and economic revitalization, while protecting Gardiner’s unique historic character.
ABOUT MAIN STREET AMERICA
Main Street America leads a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. For more than 40 years, Main Street America has provided a practical, adaptable, and impactful framework for community-driven, comprehensive revitalization through the Main Street Approach™. Our network of more than 1,200 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 $95.33 billion in new public and private investment, generated 161,036 net new businesses and 717,723 net new jobs, and rehabilitated more than 314,431 buildings. Main Street America is a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit mainstreet.org.
