Gloucester Main Street Designated as a 2024 Accredited Program by Main Street America
Gloucester Main Street 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 designated programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™. Chair, Dr. Adrianne Joseph, wishes to express her gratitude to all current and prior board members and staff who made this achievement possible.
This year, Gloucester Main Street Organizations achieved significant milestones in collaboration with Virginia Main Street and the National Main Street Center. A comprehensive market analysis update was conducted, involving extensive data examination and community input through focus groups and surveys, culminating in the Main Street America Strategic Market Development Report. The report, unveiled at the Fine Arts Museum of Gloucester on August 11th, 2023, highlighted strategic insights for future growth.
Additionally, the organizations launched a redesigned website, gloucestermainstreet.com, and the “Meet Us on Main Street” email newsletter, enhancing online engagement. They secured a $50,000 Financial Feasibility Grant to explore redevelopment opportunities at Main Street Center and awarded $46,000 in matching facade and interior grants to improve downtown aesthetics. Infrastructure commitment was demonstrated by investing nearly $16,000 in the central traffic corridor, with plans for a $170,000 Phase II enhancement at the Main Street a Rte 3/14 intersection. These efforts collectively advance the revitalization and economic vitality of Gloucester Main Street.
Gloucester Main Street’s performance was evaluated through assessments conducted by the organization’s personnel and board of directors, and Virginia Main Street, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify local programs that meet rigorous national community evaluation standards.
These standards provide the Main Street America network with a strong foundational framework to review progress, recognize strengths, understand trends, and identify strategies that move Main Street programs forward. To quality for Accredited status—Main Street America’s top designation tier—communities must demonstrate a proven track record of achieving outcomes in alignment with the Main Street Approach and exceptional performance in six areas: broad-based community commitment to revitalization; inclusive leadership and organizational capacity; diversified funding and sustainable program operations; strategy-driven programming; preservation-based economic development; and demonstrated impact and results.
In 2023, the Main Street America programs generated $5.68 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,630 net new businesses, facilitated the creation of 35,162 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,556 historic buildings, and leveraged 1,664,763 volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, it generated $18.03 of new investment back into their downtown and commercial corridor communities.
Main Street America President and CEO Erin Barnes says “Main Street leaders are visionaries that see things that no one else can see and create the future world we all want to live in. The size and impact of our network demonstrates that great things happen when visions are realized through strategic, grassroots collaboration.”
In 2023, the Main Street America programs generated $5.68 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,630 net new businesses, facilitated the creation of 35,162 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,556 historic buildings, and leveraged 1,664,763 volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, it generated $18.03 of new investment back into their downtown and commercial corridor communities.
For more detailed information, please view our full Annual Report on our website.
