(Des Moines) Last week, Main Street Iowa hosted the annual Main Street Iowa Development Awards celebration in Des Moines. The program honors the efforts of those who work tirelessly to revitalize Iowa’s downtowns and to make a difference in the state’s Main Street districts.
This year, 14 projects were recognized, and 47 leadership award recipients were honored for significant leadership and volunteer contributions to their local Main Street programs. Debi Durham, executive director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Iowa Finance Authority, and Michael Wagler, Main Street Iowa state coordinator, presented the honors.
During this event, ten communities were recognized for reaching milestones in the amount of private investment in their commercial districts. The City of Avoca was one of the ten recognized for reaching the $3 million mark. The city of Coon Rapids won a competitive award for its’ dash and dine project for cities under 5,000 population.
The Spirit of Main Street Award was also presented to Peg Raney, president of Jefferson’s Why Not Us development group. Raney brought together 71 women to invest in rehabilitating a historic downtown building. The Spirit of Main Street Award is a special recognition presented to an individual or group who demonstrates the spirit of Main Street at work throughout Iowa.
In 1985, the Iowa Legislature adopted Main Street America’s Four Point Approach® to district revitalization by establishing Main Street Iowa within the agency that is now the IEDA. Since then, the Main Street Iowa program has significantly impacted Iowa’s economy, including more than $2.6 billion in private investment, more than 3.7 million volunteer hours, more than 5,300 new businesses, and more than 16,000 jobs.
For more information about Main Street Iowa and how all Iowa communities can access commercial revitalization assistance through the Iowa Downtown Resource Center, visit iowaeda.com/downtown-resource-center/, email michael.wagler@iowaeda.com or call 515.348.6184.
