State awards Main Street designations
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Fourteen community organizations dedicated to the revitalization of their downtowns have earned a new or updated Indiana Main Street designation, the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced this month.
Indiana Main Street is the statewide initiative affiliated with Main Street America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that helps revitalize older and historic commercial districts through advocacy, training, grants and other resources.
“Indiana Main Street communities are one of the greatest quality of life assets we have across the state,” Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch said in a news release. “I am thrilled that these 14 communities are taking the extra step to highlight what makes their downtowns unique.”
Indiana Main Street accepts applications from community organizations at three levels, the news release said. Generally, Indiana Accredited Main Street meets all of the accreditation standards set forth by Main Street America. Aspiring Indiana Accredited Main Street is within one year of meeting the accreditation standards. And the third level, Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs Downtown Affiliate Network, lacks some of the requirements to meet the accreditation standards or is working toward them.
The 14 organizations and their designations are:
Indiana Accredited Main Street
- Dillsboro Main Street
- Streets of Monticello Association
Aspiring Indiana Accredited Main Street
- Boonville NOW
- Sheridan Main Street
- Tipton Main Street
OCRA Downtown Affiliate Network
- Alexandria Main Street Inc.
- INergize Linton
- Historic Marion Inc.
- Middletown Main Street
- Discover New Carlisle
- New Haven – Historic Broadway Inc.
- Heart of Poseyville
- Possibilities in Paoli
- Historic Shoals River District
Housed within the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, Indiana Main Street last year provided more than $621,000 of in-kind services to participating communities, according to a news release.
Lt. Gov. Crouch and the Office of Community and Rural Affairs also have announced seven upcoming Main Street 101 trainings across the state. Attendance at a Main Street 101 training is required to apply for the Downtown Affiliate Network. To register or to learn more, click here.
The dates and locations of the trainings:
- Northeast: 4 p.m. May 2, 603 S. Jackson St., Auburn.
- Northwest: 4 p.m. May 14, 127 N. Main St., Monticello.
- West Central: 4 p.m. June 4, 900 Wabash Ave., Suite 102, Terre Haute.
- East Central: 4 p.m. June 11, 595 E. Water St., Pendleton.
- Southeast: 4 p.m. June 19, 128 N. Main St., Versailles.
- Southwest: 4 p.m. June 27, 1710 Community Drive, Ferdinand.
- Indianapolis: 11 a.m. Aug. 5, Indiana Government Center South, Harrison Hall, Conference Room 19, 302 W. Washington St.