Introduction

NATIONAL ACCREDITATION STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE

NATIONAL MAIN STREET PROGRAM 1

Established in 1980 as a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Main Street Center Inc. works with a nationwide network of state coordinating programs and local communities to encourage preservation-based community revitalization. During its 40-year history the program has equipped more than 2,000 historic commercial districts with the skills and organizing framework they need for renewal. An exciting new chapter for the organization began in 2013 when the National Main Street Center (NMSC) launched as an independent subsidiary of the National Trust. This transition enabled the National Main Street Center to build on its three-decade record of success with new leadership and new resources that will help communities respond to evolving needs and opportunities in the commercial district revitalization field.

In 2015, the center launched a new brand for the network of Main Street communities – Main Street America ™ – to reinvigorate our collective look, feel, and strategy and to position them as leaders locally, regionally, and nationally.

As a nonprofit organization, the National Main Street Center provides information, offers technical assistance, holds conferences and workshops, and conducts research and advocacy on critical revitalization issues. The proven Main Street Four-Point Approach® provides a framework for communities to organize themselves for success, improve the design of their neighborhoods, promote their districts, and enhance their economic bases.

Cumulatively, commercial districts taking part in the Main Street program have spurred the rehabilitation of more than 200,000 buildings and generated $79 billion in new investment, with a net gain of more than 640,000 new jobs, and