12/20/2011
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charleston East End has been selected from a nationwide pool of applicants to be one of 10 semifinalists in the final round of competition in the 2012 Great American Main Street Awards® (GAMSA).
Founded in 2002, East End Main Street represents one of the oldest and most diverse neighborhoods in Charleston. The East End is home to a range of restaurants, the West Virginia State Capitol, Appalachian Power Park, and Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia and Capitol Farmers’ Market.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation will present the final five winners at the Main Street Awards Ceremony during the National Main Streets Conference in Baltimore, Md., on April 2, 2012.
The annual award recognizes the participating communities for their exceptional accomplishments in revitalizing the nation’s historic and traditional Main Street commercial districts by using the proven Main Street Four-Point Approach®.
GAMSA winners demonstrate exemplary achievement in the process of strengthening their downtowns and commercial districts based on the following selection criteria:
- Active involvement of the public and private sectors;
- Broad-based community support for the revitalization effort;
- Quality of achievements over time;
- Innovative solutions to significant problems;
- Commitment to historic preservation;
- Evolving track record of successful commercial district revitalization;
- Comprehensive revitalization effort: activity in all four points of the Main Street Four-Point Approach® to commercial district revitalization;
- Economic impact of the revitalization program; and
- Successful small business development.
The winners were selected by a national jury composed of former award winners, community development professionals, and governmental agency representatives who are active in community economic development and historic preservation.
The 2012 Great American Main Street Awards semifinalists are:
- Bath, Maine
- Charleston (East End), W.Va.
- Culpeper, Va.
- Havre de Grace, Md.
- Jacksonville, Illinois
- Portland, Mich.
- Russellville, Ark.
- Steamboat Springs, Colo.
- Historic Valley Junction/West Des Moines, Iowa
- Washington, Mo.
Established in 1980, the National Trust Main Street Center® helps communities of all sizes revitalize their older and historic commercial districts. Working in more than 2,200 downtowns and urban neighborhoods over the last 30 years, the Main Street program has leveraged more than $51 billion in new public and private investment. Participating communities have created 436,909 net new jobs and nearly 100,000 net new businesses and rehabilitated more than 221,775 buildings, leveraging an average of $16 in new investment for every dollar spent on their Main Street district revitalization efforts. To learn about previous GAMSA winners, visit http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/awards/gamsa/
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately-funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places to enrich our future. www.PreservationNation.org
Contact Information
Catherine Zacchi
304-957-9340
catherine.m.zacchi@wv.gov