Downtown Commission Earns ‘Main Street America’ Status
Provided by Lake Norman Media Group, Lori Helms on July 20, 2022 —
Mooresville – Since its inception in the late 1980s, the Mooresville Downtown Commission has been an active, committed partner in the revitalization of the town’s downtown district. Working in concert over the years with local residents, business owners, property owners, volunteers and local leadership, the MDC has been a vital asset in the continued growth — and in some sense, rebirth — of what has become a renewed and vibrant downtown scene.
In recognition of that effort, the MDC was recently awarded the designation as a nationally accredited member of the Main Street America program.
For more than 40 years, the Main Street America program has been a catalyst in reviving older and historic commercial districts in more than 1,200 communities across the country – both urban and rural. It’s a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, with a focus on preservation-based economic development.
A variety of performance standards must be achieved to reach the accreditation status, anchored by metrics in economic vitality, design, promotion and organization.
According to the MDC, in fiscal year 2021 alone (the year ending June 30, 2021), the organization reported more than $6.7 million in private investments and nearly $900,000 in public investments made within the Downtown Mooresville municipal service district. That’s in addition to several façade renovations, new businesses and full-time jobs created, as well as volunteers who contributed more than 2,000 volunteer hours toward the revitalization mission.
“I am so very proud of the designation we have received as an Accredited Main Street community,” says MDC Board of Directors Chairman Kim Saragoni, who operates Four Corners Framing on North Main Street. “For the past three years the MDC Board of Directors, partners and volunteers have stayed the course to accomplish the goals necessary to meet the requirements. Downtown Mooresville is such a vital part of the quality of life for Mooresville residents. The Main Street Program is a wonderful tool for us to continue to succeed.”
Provided by Lake Norman Media Group, Lori Helms