Kendall Whittier Main Street has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America™ program for meeting rigorous performance standards. Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the list of Accredited programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™.
“We are extremely proud to recognize this year’s 863 nationally Accredited Main Street America programs that have worked tirelessly to advance economic vitality and quality of life in their downtowns and commercial districts,” said Patrice Frey, President & CEO of Main Street America.
“During another incredibly challenging year, these programs demonstrated the power of the Main Street movement to respond to the needs of their communities. I am inspired by their steadfast leadership and innovative solutions to drive essential local recovery efforts, support small businesses, and nurture vibrant downtown districts.”
In 2021, Main Street America programs generated $5.76 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,601 net new businesses, generated 30,402 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,595 historic buildings, and leveraged 1,427,729 volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, it generated $19.34 of new investment back into Main Street communities.
Kendall Whittier Main Street’s performance is annually evaluated by the Oklahoma Main Street program, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet rigorous national performance standards.
Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building meaningful and sustainable revitalization programs and include standards such as, fostering strong public-private partnerships, supporting small and locally owned businesses, and actively preserving historic places, spaces, and cultural assets.
“No matter how long we’ve been around, accreditation always feels special,” said Jessica Jackson Seay, executive director of Kendall Whittier Main Street. “It’s just further proof we are doing revitalization the right, the responsible, the Main Street way.”
Since the KWMS began in 2010, there have been 90 new businesses open in the district, which has created more than 360 jobs. In all, Kendall Whittier Main Street (KWMS) has seen nearly $170 million dollars reinvested in the district.
“This isn’t something our small staff does alone,” Jackson Seay said. “Our Board of Directors are other volunteers dedicate their time, talent and resources to our organization day in and day out. We are so proud of the more than 17,000 volunteer hours that have gone into the work we’ve done in Kendall Whittier in the last 12 years.”
To learn more about how to get involved in Kendall Whittier Main Street, go to visitKendallWhittier.com/get-involved.
About Kendall Whittier Main Street
Kendall Whittier Main Street is a nonprofit organization that inspires the ongoing revitalization and growth of a historic and cultural neighborhood in Tulsa, striving to transform it back to a thriving, walkable commercial district.
Kendall Whittier Main Street was named 2020 Great American Main Street by Main Street America and earned Program of the Year from Oklahoma Main Street in 2020. For more information about the Kendall Whittier Main Street, please call or text 918-633-1934 or email info@visitkendallwhittier.com.
About Main Street America
Main Street America has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for 40 years. Today, it is a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.
Since 1980, communities participating in the program have leveraged more than $89.57 billion in new public and private investment, generated 687,321 net new jobs and 154,435 net new businesses, and rehabilitated more than 303,836 buildings.
Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit www.mainstreet.org.
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