Recently, Main Street America (MSA) announced that 863 Main Street programs from across the nation have earned Accredited status! Excitingly, 25 Main Street programs in Virginia earned MSA’s top tier of recognition. This exclusive designation signifies a demonstrated commitment to comprehensive community revitalization and a proven track record of successfully applying the Main Street Approach to such efforts. Apart from Accredited communities, MSA also congratulated the 383 programs that have been designated as Affiliates, 16 of which are from Virginia. These programs are achieving meaningful economic, social, physical and organizational improvements in their communities!

In 2021, Accredited and Affiliate communities across the nation generated:

• $5.76 billion in local reinvestment
• 6,601 net new businesses
• 30,402 net new jobs
• 10,595 rehabilitated historic buildings
• 1,427,729 volunteer hours

“We are thrilled to acknowledge this year’s Accredited and Affiliate programs and their dedication to advancing economic opportunity and quality of life in their downtowns. 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.” – Patrice Frey, President & CEO, Main Street America

Statewide, countywide, and citywide Coordinating Programs evaluate, select, and recommend qualifying communities to Main Street America on an annual basis. Communities must meet ten rigorous standards to qualify for Accreditation status. Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such as fostering strong public-private partnerships, documenting programmatic progress, and actively preserving historic buildings.

View MSA’s interactive map to explore all the Accredited and Affiliate MSA communities across the Main Street network, especially those in Virginia!