Jefferson, IA May 2, 2019 – Jefferson Matters: Main Street has been designated as an accredited Main Street America™ program for meeting rigorous performance standards set by the National Main Street Center. Each year, the National Main Street Center and its partners announce the list of accredited Main Street America programs to recognize their exemplary commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™
“We are proud to acknowledge this year’s 840 nationally accredited Main Street America programs that have worked tirelessly to strengthen their communities. said Patrice Frey, President & CEO of the National Main Street Center. “These programs deserve recognition for generating impressive economic returns, preserving community character, and celebrating local history. Main Street America Accredited communities are part of a powerful movement of changemakers, and their dedication to improving quality of life in the places they call home is inspiring.
In 2018 alone, Main Street America programs generated $4.93 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 5,310 net new businesses, generated 25,301 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 8,146historic buildings, and clocked 2.2 million volunteer hours.
The Jefferson Matters: Main Street performance is annually evaluated by Main Street Iowa which works in partnership with the National Main Street Center to identify the local programs that meet ten national performance standards. Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such as fostering strong public-private partnerships, documenting programmatic progress, and actively preserving historic buildings.
Jefferson Matters: Main Street continues to attract volunteers for involvement in the five committees of Design, Economic Vitality, Promotion, Organization and unique to Jefferson, Tower View Team. They support the City’s efforts to make Jefferson’s downtown a hub of activity with historic preservation as the focus.
President Jamie Daubendiek commends his dedicated board of directors leading each of the committees to ensure that all of the standards and benchmarks are met each year. The accreditation process is the same for all sizes of Main Street communities. Jamie stated, “We are proud of our accomplishments since 2012 and look forward to more progress guided by these standards.”