Governor Kaine Celebrates Virginia's Third Great American Main Street Award
– National trust honors Lynchburg for downtown revitalization –

RICHMOND – Governor Timothy M. Kaine today congratulated the City of Lynchburg for being designated one of four cities in the country to receive this year’s prestigious Great American Main Street Award.  The National Trust for Historic Preservation presented the award to Lynchburg during the National Main Streets Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, earlier this week.   The other honorees were El Reno, Oklahoma; Natchitoches, Louisiana; and Parsons, Kansas.

Lynchburg’s award marks the third time that a Virginia community has won a Great American Main Street Award.  Staunton and Manassas have also been recognized for significant achievements in downtown revitalization and received this award in past years.  All three communities are part of the Virginia Main Street program, which supports effective downtown revitalization.

“I am proud to congratulate the community leaders and citizens of Lynchburg on their Great American Main Street Award,” said Governor Kaine.  “The community has shown an incredible commitment to restoring its downtown area, and truly deserves this national honor,” said Governor Kaine.  “The fact that we have had three winners is a point of pride for Virginia, and a testament to the success of our Virginia Main Street program and our designated Main Street communities, such as Lynchburg.”

The Great American Main Street Awards are presented by the National Trust’s National Main Street Center to recognize exceptional accomplishments in revitalizing America’s historic and older main street commercial districts.  Lynch’s Landing, Inc. and the City of Lynchburg were awarded for outstanding downtown revitalization initiatives, including their impressive streetscape improvements, numerous new residential developments in historic buildings, the restoration of Monument Terrace, and hugely successful special events like the popular Friday Cheers concert series.

The Virginia Main Street program, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development, works to revitalize Virginia’s historic downtowns.  The program provides training and technical support to help Main Street communities improve and beautify their downtowns and encourage private investment, business development, and tourism. 

Since joining the Virginia Main Street program in 2000, Lynchburg has encouraged more than $32.7 million in private investment and dedicated 45,740 hours of volunteer time to local downtown revitalization efforts.  The Virginia Main Street program began in 1985.  Since that time the program has encouraged more than $364 million in private investment, over 321,000 volunteer hours, and helped to create over 10,700 jobs in Main Street communities.

“The Virginia Main Street program has done an excellent job in making Main Street communities more economically viable places in which to live and do business,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Patrick O. Gottschalk.  “We are proud of Lynchburg’s success and the efforts of all our Virginia Main Street communities.”

For more information on the National Main Street Center and the Great American Main Street Awards go to http://www.mainstreet.org/.  Information regarding the Virginia Main Street Program can be found at www.dhcd.virginia.gov or by calling (804) 371-7030.

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