Seymour Main Street receives national accreditation

0

Seymour Main Street recently was designated as an accredited Main Street program for another year.

The Seymour organization is in its 26th year, but this is its third year as a nationally accredited organization, said Bri Roll, who has been executive director of Seymour Main Street since July 2020.

“Some of the benefits of being accredited is the eligibility to use the Main Street America name and logo,” Roll said. “Also, eligibility to apply for the Great American Main Street awards and other special awards and grant programs.”

Roll said Seymour Main Street organization is so excited to be nationally accredited for another year.

“We are at the Main Street America community level, which is the top level for an organization,” she said.

National Main Street community accreditation criterion includes broad-based community support, vision and mission statements, comprehensive work plan and historic preservation ethic.

Also, an active board and committees, adequate operating budget, paid professional Main Street program manager, program of ongoing training, reporting of key statistics and Main Street Network membership.

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 proud to recognize this year’s 889 nationally accredited Main Street programs that have worked tirelessly to advance economic vitality and quality of life in their downtowns and commercial districts,” said Patrice Frey, president and chief executive officer of Main Street America.

“During an incredibly challenging year, these programs demonstrated the power of the Main Street movement to drive impressive local recovery efforts, champion small businesses and foster vibrant downtown districts,” Frey said. “I am inspired by their hard work and confident that these accredited communities will continue to help their downtowns flourish in the next stages of recovery.”

In 2020, Main Street America programs generated $4.14 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 4,356 net new businesses, generated 14,988 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 8,488 historic buildings and clocked 983,702 volunteer hours.

Seymour Main Street’s performance is annually evaluated by Indiana Main Street, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet 10 national performance standards.

Evaluation criteria determine the communities that are building meaningful and sustainable revitalization programs and include standards such as fostering strong public-private partnerships, documenting programmatic progress and actively preserving historic buildings.

Over the past 40 years, Main Street America has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts. It is now a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, that share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.

Roll and the Seymour Main Street organization are glad to be planning activities for the community, especially after so many events were canceled last year due to the pandemic.

The next event will be the Downtown Shop/Chalk Around from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Coming up in early July will be an announcement to name the 2021 Dancing with the Seymour Stars lineup, Roll said.

On June 17, CityJam will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with the Jimmy Buffett tribute band Parrots of the Caribbean.

“We will be giving away leis and would encourage everyone to dress in their luau gear that evening,” Roll said.

CityJam performances are scheduled through September with the Naked Karate Girls party band taking the stage July 15, Nashville country artist Sweet Tea Trio on Aug. 19 and Nashville Yacht Club Band on Sept. 16. All performances are at the JCB Pavilion at Crossroads Community Park.

CityJam is open to the public at no cost. Food and beverages will be available for purchase at each of the performances.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”On the Web” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

For information, visit seymourmainstreet.org or facebook.com/seymourmainstreet.

[sc:pullout-text-end]

No posts to display