MAIN STREET VINELAND RECEIVES 2022 MAIN STREET AMERICA ACCREDITATION

Main Street Vineland has 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.

Main Street Vineland’s performance is annually evaluated 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.

“This continued reaccreditation of our program is testimony to what Main Street Vineland has accomplished and the great strides that we have taken—and are taking—toward making our downtown a thriving place to live, work, dine, and be entertained,” said Russell Swanson, Main Street Vineland Executive Director. “It shows the consistency of our approach. Our program of events and other programs are designed to drive people regularly to our downtown and, and so doing, to help our businesses.”

“We are working aggressively to bring new businesses to our downtown—sustainable new businesses—by matching available properties to the kinds of suitable businesses for those buildings—and with a strong set of business incentives,” said Main Street Vineland Associate Director and Business Development Director Robert Scarpa. “We are also actively pursuing plans for downtown living—including good second-and third-floor housing, housing for millennials—that will make our downtown attractive for the up-and-coming generations.”

Since 2005, Main Street Vineland has been a prime force in preserving our downtown’s assets and uniqueness, but also working to make our downtown a model for the future. This blend of preservation and development has come, in large part, from a strong relationship and cooperation with City government. 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 www.mainstreet.org. For more information Main Street Vineland programs and events, call the Main Street Vineland office at 856-794-8653, visit the organization’s website at www.TheAve.biz, or visit it on Facebook.