Downtown Statesboro Development Authority Receives 2019 Georgia Exceptional Main Street Designation.

The Georgia Main Street Division of the Department of Community Affairs presented the City of Statesboro the Georgia Exceptional Main Street (G.E.M.S) Award. The Downtown Statesboro Development Authority has been designated as an accredited Main Street America™ program for meeting rigorous performance standards set by the National Main Street Center. Each year, the National Main Street Center and its partners announce the list of accredited Main Street America programs to recognize their exemplary commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™

“We are proud to acknowledge this year’s 840 nationally accredited Main Street America programs that have worked tirelessly to strengthen their communities.  said Patrice Frey, President & CEO of the National Main Street Center. “These programs deserve recognition for generating impressive economic returns, preserving community character, and celebrating local history. Main Street America Accredited communities are part of a powerful movement of change makers, and their dedication to improving quality of life in the places they call home is inspiring.

In 2018 alone, Main Street America programs generated $4.93 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 5,310 net new businesses, generated 25,301 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 8,146 historic buildings, and clocked 2.2 million volunteer hours.

The Downtown Statesboro Development Authority/Main Street Statesboro performance is annually evaluated by the Georgia Main Street Program, which works in partnership with the National Main Street Center to identify the local programs that meet ten 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.
The Statesboro Main Street program 2017 Community Impact Report includes the program’s progress for the year.  In 2018 downtown Statesboro had 129 promotional events with an attendance of 52,117 and volunteers served 1,743 hours.  15 rehabilitation projects were completed in the district that cost $294,040 and over $212,000 in public improvement projects. The total amount of public reinvestment in the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority was $2,251,543.

Allen Muldrew, Executive Director for the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority stated, “The time is right, we have growth and opportunity and business are investing and moving on the Boro Blue Mile in downtown Statesboro.”

ABOUT DOWNTOWN STATESBORO DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Main Street Statesboro and the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority are committed to the economic development, historic preservation and beautification of Statesboro’s downtown area.  The purpose of Main Street Statesboro and Downtown Statesboro Development Authority is to revitalize downtown economically and socially within the context of historic preservation by increasing financial viability and ensuring the success of Businesses.

ABOUT MAIN STREET AMERICA

Main Street America has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for more than 35 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 $79.12 billion in new public and private investment, generated 640,017 net new jobs and 143,613 net new businesses, and rehabilitated more than 284,936 buildings. Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.