Main Streets Annapolis Partnership Receives 2012 National Trust Main Street Accreditation

Mayor Joshua Cohen is pleased to announce that the MainStreets Annapolis Partnership (MAP), the City’s non-profit partner in the Main Street program, has been designated as an accredited National Main Street Program.

MAP was recognized for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Trust Main Street Center® which includes:

Building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization effort
Developing a mission
Fostering strong public-private partnerships
Securing an operating budget
Tracking economic progress
Preserving historic buildings

This year, Annapolis is one of only 764 communities to receive this accreditation.

“We are fortunate to have a partner like MAP to work on projects that improve the appearance of our downtown and promote a professional approach to business enhancements. MAP has done an excellent job of coordinating with business and residential leadership to move projects forward. I cannot express my thanks enough to the volunteers whose passion and commitment have made this happen.”

MAP is made up of local business owners, property owners, the City of Annapolis, lenders, real estate development professionals, residents and local business associations. These partners work together on five committees to enhance the traditional business communities Downtown, in Eastport, on Inner West Street, and in West Annapolis. MAP’s mission is to create and support programs that preserve Annapolis’ historic character and natural environment, enhance the vitality of the business community and the quality of life for residents, and promote an authentic experience that attracts visitors to our City.

“We congratulate this year’s nationally accredited Main Street programs for meeting our established performance standards,” says Doug Loescher, director of the National Trust Main Street Center. “Accredited Main Street programs are meeting the challenges of the recession head on and are successfully using a focused, comprehensive revitalization strategy to keep their communities vibrant and sustainable.”

MAP President, Steve Samaras, attributes this national recognition of the Annapolis Main Street program to the contributions of MAP’s leadership and volunteers. “MAP is thrilled to be recognized by the National Trust Main Street Center for our revitalization of the Main Street program in Annapolis. All the credit goes to our highly committed group of volunteers, both residents and business owners, who have stepped in, rolled up their sleeves, and gotten to work on everything from the Main Street Pocket Park, to Rain Barrel projects in Eastport & West Annapolis, to promoting “perks” for Restaurant Week, to hosting small-business training workshops, to establishing a place-based brand that speaks to the uniqueness of our community.”

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places to enrich our future. www.PreservationNation.org.

Established in 1980, the National Trust Main Street Center® helps communities of all sizes revitalize their older and historic commercial districts. Working in more than 2,200 downtown and urban neighborhoods over the last 30 years, the Main Street program has leveraged more than $53.6 billion in new public and private investment. Participating communities have created 448,835 net new jobs and 104,961 net new businesses, and rehabilitated more than 229,164 buildings, leveraging an average of $18 in new investment for every dollar spent on their Main Street district revitalization efforts.