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™.
“This accreditation by Main Street America is an honor,” said Jessica Jackson Seay, executive director of Kendall Whittier Main Street. “We are proud of the work we achieve each year, so to receive recognition that we’re on the right track, we’re doing the right thing for our community, it means so much.”
In 2022, Kendall Whittier saw more than $15.3 million private dollars reinvested in the district through building/land purchases, building rehabilitation, new construction and other projects. Thirteen new businesses opened. [See Impact Report]
Since the program began in 2010, there’s been $175 million reinvested in Kendall Whittier with 101 businesses opening and 373 jobs created. This work has been accomplished due to the 18,500 volunteer hours that have gone into Kendall Whittier Main Street over the years.
Kendall Whittier Main Street’s performance is evaluated annually by the Oklahoma Main Street Center, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet rigorous national performance standards.
Some key KWMS programming includes an annual façade grant, arts and culture focused events, beatification projects like new bike racks and planters, community initiatives like Community Day and more.
To quality for Accreditation status, communities must have a commitment to building grassroots revitalization programs, fostering strong public-private partnerships, nurturing economic opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs and actively preserving historic places, spaces and cultural assets.
“We are very proud to acknowledge this year’s 862 Accredited Main Street America programs, and their steadfast dedication to nurture economically and culturally vibrant downtown districts,” said Hannah White, Interim President & CEO of Main Street America. “The increase in the size and impact of our network speaks volumes to the power of the Main Street movement to respond to the needs of local communities and drive innovative solutions.”
In 2022, Main Street America programs generated $6.2 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 7,657 net new businesses, facilitated the creation of 29,174 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,688 historic buildings, and leveraged 1,528,535 volunteer hours.
On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, it generated $24.07 of new investment back into their downtown communities.
Collectively, 2 million people live or work within the boundaries of designated Main Street America districts. An estimated workforce of 1.1 million people contribute their skills and expertise to advancing the missions of these historic downtowns and commercial corridors.
Kendall Whittier Main Street is a nonprofit organization that works with businesses, property owners and community partners to create vibrancy in Kendall Whittier’s commercial areas. KWMS hosts events to bring people to the district and works closely with local and state liaisons for improvements. Kendall Whittier is a certified cultural district by the Oklahoma Arts Council.
Main Street America leads a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. For more than 40 years, Main Street America has provided a practical, adaptable, and impactful framework for community-driven, comprehensive revitalization through the Main Street Approach™. Main Street America is a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit mainstreet.org.
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