Posted on October 1, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2024
Contact
Ivy Wells
Director, Economic and Community Development
[email protected]
410-629-1722
BERLIN MAIN STREET ANNOUNCED AS 2025 GREAT AMERICAN
MAIN STREET AWARD SEMIFINALIST
One of Eight Organizations Recognized for Exemplary
Downtown Revitalization Efforts Nationally
Berlin, MD (October 1, 2024) – Main Street America has announced BERLIN MAIN STREET as a 2025 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) semifinalist. This prestigious award is the nation’s top award recognizing communities for their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization.
A jury of professionals and leaders in the fields of community and economic development and historic preservation convened to review a nationwide pool of applicants. After thoughtful deliberation, the jury unanimously selected eight semifinalists that demonstrate exemplary use of the Main Street Approach™ to lead community-based transformation strategies in their downtowns.
The 2025 Great American Main Street Award semifinalists are:
Berlin Main Street – Berlin, Maryland
Denison Main Street – Denison, Texas
Easton Main Street Initiative – Easton, Pennsylvania
Main Street Farmington – Farmington, Oakland County, Michigan
Jefferson Matters – Jefferson, Iowa
Raton MainStreet/Arts & Culture District – Raton, New Mexico
Vicksburg Main Street Program – Vicksburg, Mississippi
Downtown Wytheville Inc. – Wytheville, Virginia
“I am honored to congratulate the eight Main Street organizations as 2025 Great American Main Street Award semifinalists and to celebrate their incredible accomplishments,” said Main Street America President and CEO Erin Barnes. “This year’s semifinalists demonstrate exceptional achievements in reenergizing their downtowns through inclusive, collaborative organizing and innovative economic development, arts and culture, and historic preservation initiatives.”
Collectively, the 2025 GAMSA semifinalists have generated over $695 million in local reinvestment, helped open 975 net new businesses, facilitated the creation of 7,190 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 1,568 historic buildings, and leveraged 333,050 volunteer hours.
Competing for the Great American Main Street Award is a significant achievement in the Main Street Movement, and receiving the award is an esteemed honor. Since its establishment in 1995, only 112 of over 2000 Main Street programs have been acknowledged as GAMSA-winning communities. Many Main Street programs set multi-year plans to work towards developing a strong application based on outcomes that make meaningful impacts in their local communities. Organizations are familiar with the selection criteria—strength of the Main Street program in spurring community transformation, commitment to historic preservation, innovative programming, implementation of cross-sector partnerships, community outreach and stakeholder engagement, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion—and build towards this opportunity to be recognized.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that our Main Street program has been recognized as one of the top eight in the entire country! Being a semi-finalist for this award is a testament to our businesses, volunteers and the amazing support we receive from our Mayor and Council” said Ivy Wells, Director of Economic and Community Development, Town of Berlin/Berlin Main Street
“This recognition highlights the dedication of our Economic and Community Development team, town employees, local businesses, volunteers, and the residents who make our Main Street vibrant. Their commitment to fostering a thriving downtown is what sets Berlin apart, and this achievement belongs to all of us. Together, we’ve built something truly special, and it is an honor to have Berlin’s hard work recognized at the national level.” Said Mayor Zack Tyndall, Town of Berlin.
The 2025 Great American Main Street Award ceremony will be held at the opening plenary of the 2025 Main Street Now Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 7, 2025, where three semifinalists will be recognized as recipients of the coveted honor.
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The Berlin Main Street Program has been the catalyst in transforming downtown Berlin into the thriving, vibrant place it is today. strives to strengthen the economic potential of Maryland’s traditional main streets and neighborhoods.
ABOUT THE GREAT AMERICAN MAIN STREET AWARDS
The Great American Main Street Award program recognizes communities exemplifying the use of the Main Street Approach™ to revitalize commercial districts. Winners are selected from a nationwide pool of applicants by a jury of Main Street professionals and leaders in the fields of community and economic development and historic preservation. Since the award’s inception in 1995, over 110 Main Street programs have been honored as GAMSA communities. For more information, visit mainstreet.org.
ABOUT MAIN STREET AMERICA
Main Street America leads a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. For more than 40 years, Main Street America has provided a practical, adaptable, and impactful framework for community-driven, comprehensive revitalization through the Main Street Approach™. Our network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. For more information, visit mainstreet.org.
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