- <h2>40 Mississippi Communities receive National Main Street Accreditation</h2>
JACKSON, Miss. -- Forty Mississippi communities have recently received accreditation as 2010 National Main Street Programs.
The Mississippi Main Street Association (MMSA), in partnership with the National Trust Main Street Center, has verified that each of these local Main Street® programs has met performance standards that ensure a comprehensive, historic preservation-based approach to commercial district revitalization:
Aberdeen, Amory, Baldwyn, Batesville, Bay St. Louis, Biloxi, Canton, Carthage, Cleveland, Clinton, Columbia, Columbus, Corinth, Greenville, Greenwood, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Hernando, Indianola, Jackson (Belhaven), Kosciusko, Laurel, Lexington, Louisville, New Albany, Ocean Springs, Okolona, Pascagoula, Philadelphia, Picayune, Pontotoc, Port Gibson, Ripley, Senatobia, Tunica, Tupelo, Vicksburg, Water Valley, West Point and Woodville.
"The highly prized recognition reflects the commitment made by both state and community leaders to create economic development while revitalizing the downtown core of their towns and cities," said Bob Wilson, MMSA Executive Director. "Main Street programs play a strategic role in stimulating the local, state and national economy."
More than 25 years ago, the National Trust Main Street Center developed the Main Street Four-Point Approach® - a historic preservation-based economic development strategy that more than 1,800 communities have adopted to revitalize their historic or traditional commercial districts.
Each year, the Center offers accreditation to the local Main Street programs that meet the 10 national standards of performance. In 2010, 759 programs in the nation received national accreditation based on criteria developed by the National Trust Main Street Center.
Cumulatively, the commercial districts taking part in the Main Street program nationally have generated more than $48.9 billion in new investment, with a net gain of more than 417,919 new jobs and 94,176 new businesses.
Every dollar a community uses to support its local Main Street program leverages an average of $25 in new investment, making the Main Street program one of the most successful economic development strategies in America.
For more information on the 10 performance criteria required for accreditation as National Main Street Programs, please visit http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/about-main-street/the-programs/national-programs.html. For more information on programs of the Mississippi Main Street Association, please visit http://www.msmainstreet.com.
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Canton Square
The Courthouse Square in Canton is the focus of exciting activities and is the scene twice yearly of the nationally famous Canton Flea Market Arts & Crafts Show. The Market attracts up to 100,000 visitors annually from across the United States and beyond. |
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