Madison Main Street announced as 2024 Great American Main Street Award semifinalist

Madison Main Street announced as
2024 Great American Main Street Award semifinalist 

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 28, 2023) – Main Street America recently announced Madison Main Street as one of eight organizations recognized as a 2024 Great American Main Street Award semifinalist. This award is Main Street America's top honor, recognizing communities for their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization. 

“Main Street communities improve quality of life across the state of Indiana, and Madison Main Street has historically been an exemplary leader of that program both locally and nationally,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “I am proud of this Hoosier community for earning this national recognition. Congratulations Madison Main Street!”

Established in 1979, Madison Main Street was one of three original Main Street pilot programs in the country and has played a crucial role in preserving the town’s architectural and entrepreneurial heritage while constantly reimagining spaces, places and activities to meet the needs of the community. In addition, Madison Main Street was an important piece in the creation of the Indiana Main Street program in 1985.

“To be named a semifinalist community is a tremendous accomplishment for Madison Main Street,” said OCRA Executive Director Denny Spinner. “The organization continues to champion large-scale historic building rehabilitation efforts, commit to collaboration in the town’s business sector and create an inclusive and welcoming community for all to enjoy. Congratulations to Madison Main Street on this well-deserved recognition.”

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. The jury unanimously selected eight semifinalists that demonstrate exemplary use of the Main Street Approach™ to lead community-based transformation strategies in their downtowns.  

“I am thrilled that Madison has been selected as a 2024 semi-finalist,” said Madison Main Street board president Hilary Beall. “The Madison Main Street program has been dedicated to creating and sustaining economic vitality in Madison’s historic downtown for more than 40 years, and it’s exciting to receive this recognition. Many people — staff, board members, volunteers, and funding partners — have had the vision and commitment to help us achieve this milestone — and we cannot thank them enough.” 

From neighborhood commercial corridors within larger cities to small towns with traditional downtowns, the 2024 GAMSA semifinalists represent the diversity of the Main Street America network and the power of the Main Street Approach™. Semifinalists have generated over $1.48 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 881 net new businesses, facilitated the creation of 3,827 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 2,164 historic buildings, and leveraged 306,986 volunteer hours.

“On behalf of the City of Madison, I am excited and proud that Madison is receiving national recognition for more than four decades of dedication to preservation-based economic development. It is a privilege to partner with Madison Main Street Program to ensure that our city is a clean, safe, beautiful and economically vibrant place for residents, visitors, and businesses large and small,” said Madison Mayor Bob Courtney. “I hope we have more to celebrate when the winners are announced next spring."

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Under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch, who also serves as the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs’ (OCRA) mission is to work with local, state and national partners to provide resources and technical assistance to assist communities in shaping and achieving their vision for community and economic development. For more information, visit ocra.in.gov.

ABOUT MADISON MAIN STREET PROGRAM

Madison Main Street is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization designated by Indiana Main Street and accredited by the National Main Street Center. Madison is one of more than 1,200 Main Street communities across the country with the common goal of preserving America’s historic downtown as economically vital centers of the community.​ 

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 100 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 1,200 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Main Street America is a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit mainstreet.org.