New Mexico MainStreet Communities Receive 2017 National Main Street Accreditation

Susana Martinez, Governor
Matthew B. Geisel, Cabinet Secretary
February 21, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Benjamin Cloutier
505-670-7024
Benjamin.Cloutier@state.nm.us

Santa Fe, NM – Today, New Mexico MainStreet announced that 21 New Mexico Communities have been designated as Main Street America Accredited programs for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Main Street Center. All programs that received accreditation will be recognized at the National Main Street Conference in Pittsburgh in May.

“New Mexico’s MainStreet program is an incredible tool in creating vital downtown areas to leverage private investment,” said New Mexico Economic Development Secretary Matt Geisel. “The accomplishments of these communities are something we can all be proud.”

The communities receiving accreditation include: Alamogordo MainStreet, Albuquerque Downtown MainStreet, Artesia MainStreet, Belen MainStreet, Carlsbad MainStreet, Clovis MainStreet, Corrales MainStreet, Deming MainStreet, Downtown Farmington MainStreet, Grants MainStreet Project, Downtown Las Cruces Partnership, Harding County MainStreet, MainStreet de Las Vegas, Los Alamos MainStreet, Lovington MainStreet, Nob Hill MainStreet, Raton MainStreet, Silver City MainStreet, South Valley MainStreet, Tucumcari MainStreet, and MainStreet Truth or Consequences

From 2011-2016, the New Mexico MainStreet program’s local MainStreet communities have restored 1,063 buildings, leveraged $85,320,935 in private sector reinvestment, and created 752 net new businesses and 3,271 net new jobs. For every $1 invested in the New Mexico MainStreet program, $43 is leveraged locally.

Each year, the National Main Street Center and its partners announce the list of accredited Main Street programs in recognition of their exemplary commitment to historic preservation and community revitalization through the Main Street Four-Point Approach.

“We are very proud of our local Main Street programs with 21 communities earning the designation as Nationally Accredited Main Street program,” said Rich Williams Director of New Mexico MainStreet. “Their work to achieve this designation recognizes the amazing MainStreet organizations in our state, the innovative projects they are pushing forward to grow our economy and transform our downtowns and the dedication of the individuals, volunteers and staff that make Main Street such a successful strategy.”

New Mexico MainStreet evaluates organizational performance on an annual basis with the National Main Street Center to identify strong local programs that meet the ten performance standards, benchmarks used to measure a program’s application of the Main Street Four-Point Approach to commercial district revitalization. Programs must demonstrate achievement across a variety of criteria including broad-based community support for their district revitalization process, have strong support from both the public and private sectors, have an operating budget, performance measures in place to track organizational progress, and demonstrated historic preservation ethic.

A program of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, New Mexico MainStreet works throughout the state to help affiliated local organizations create an economically viable business environment while preserving cultural and historic resources. New Mexico MainStreet currently serves 28 affiliated MainStreet Districts, eight state-authorized Arts & Cultural Districts, more than 20 Frontier Community projects, and eight Historic Theater Initiatives. For more information about New Mexico MainStreet, visit www.gonm.biz or nmmainstreet.org.