Newark, Delaware Honored with 2011 Great American Main Street Award®

National Trust for Historic Preservation Praises Leadership in Revitalization at Annual Conference

Posted May 23, 2011 | Contact pr@savingplaces.org or 202-588-6141

The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced today that the Downtown Newark Partnership is a winner of the 2011 Great American Main Street Awards®(GAMSA). Recognized as a leader following the Main Street Four-Point Approach®, embracing sound historic preservation ethics and building strategic partnerships, the Downtown Newark Partnership was honored at the Main Street Awards Ceremony during the National Main Streets Conference in Des Moines, Iowa.

The National Trust Main Street Center’s annual GAMSA winners are recognized 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®.  Using the Main Street methodology, Newark, Delaware, has evolved from a sleepy college town with a struggling downtown to a small-business hotbed and regional shopping, dining, and entertainment destination. By bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders, including the University of Delaware, elected officials, business owners and residents, the Downtown Newark Partnership has capitalized on Newark’s business and tourism opportunities without losing its historic identity or small-city roots.

“The Downtown Newark Partnership has worked skillfully with public and private partners to find creative solutions to downtown Newark’s challenges and to celebrate its assets,” said Doug Loescher, director of the National Trust Main Street Center. “With 26 new businesses opening and more than $30 million invested in the last 3.5 years and a popular year-round arts and events calendar that draws people from miles around, Newark has emerged as a fun, attractive, and thriving city for work and play.” 

The other four winners include Downtown Beloit Association, Beloit, Wis.; Main Street Fort Pierce, Fort Pierce, Fla.; Old Town Main Street, Lansing, Mich.; and Silver City MainStreet Project, Silver City, N.Mex.

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, governmental agency representatives who are active in community economic development and historic preservation.

The Main Street Four-Point Approach® is a proven methodology for historic preservation-based economic development that was developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation 30 years ago and is used in more than 2,000 communities throughout the U.S.