Main Street Award Winners Recognized

anton, N.C.-- Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla, III and Assistant Secretary Dr. Patricia Mitchell are highlighting award winning downtown revitalization efforts at the N.C. Main Street Awards Conference in Morganton tonight.  They will present 23 awards to participants in the N.C. Main Street and Small Town Main Street programs in Morganton’s Municipal Auditorium at 401 S. College Street at 7 p.m.  Award winners are recognized for excellence in downtown revitalization efforts in categories that include promotion, organization, design and economic restructuring.


“Congratulations are in order for North Carolina’s Main Street Champions and award winning programs,” said Secretary Skvarla. “Their hard work breathes new life into downtowns all across our state and provides opportunities for small business as well as entertainment options for our citizens.” 


The North Carolina Main Street program helps small towns preserve their historic fabric. Local resources help participants build on their community’s unique characteristics to create vibrant central business districts. This year’s award winners were chosen by a panel of independent judges from dozens of applications submitted by Main Street participants throughout the state.


The North Carolina Small Town Main Street program is designed to provide downtown revitalization assistance to small towns with a population of less than 7,500 that are not likely, due to size or resource limitations, to pursue the regular North Carolina Main Street program.  Admittance into the Small Town Main Street program is through a competitive application process.


2014 N.C. SMALL TOWN MAIN STREET AWARDS
ORGANIZATION
· Cherryville Award of Merit - Cherryville Small Town Main Street Master Work Plan
PROMOTION
· Benson Award of Merit - Say “I Do” In Benson
ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING
· Tryon Award of Merit - St. Luke’s Plaza

2014 N.C. MAIN STREET AWARDS
ORGANIZATION
Best Public-Private Partnership in Downtown Revitalization
· Sanford Award of Merit - Chatham Street Parking Lot
Best Innovation
·  Burlington Award of Merit - The Elon University and Downtown Burlington Partnership for Revitalization
·  Eden Award of Merit -Rockingham Community College Center for Brewing Sciences
Best Public Relations Effort
·  Morganton Award of Merit - Morganton’s Main Street Program Energizes Downtown
Best Fundraising Effort
· Fuquay-Varina Award of Merit - Dinner on Depot Street

PROMOTION
Best Downtown Special Event or Event Series
· Wake Forest Award of Merit - Wake Forest Dirt Day
Best Image-Building Campaign
· Morganton Award of Merit - City of Morganton Wayfinding Program

ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING
Best Economic Development Incentive
· Burlington Award of Merit - The Burlington Downtown Corporation Small Grants Program
Best Adaptive Reuse Project
· Elkin Award of Merit - The Liberty Renovation Project
· Newton Award of Merit - Repurposing of 19 College Avenue
· Salisbury Award of Merit - Emma’s of Salisbury
Best Upper Floor Redevelopment
Eden Award of Merit - Washington Street Lofts
Goldsboro Award of Merit -Edgerton Building Apartments
Wilson Award of Merit -Nash Street Lofts
Best Business Retention, Expansion or Recruitment Effort
· Morganton Award of Merit - Creative Arts Center Recruitment Initiative
· Waynesville Award of Merit -Wells Events & Reception Center

DESIGN
Best Historic Rehabilitation Project
Edenton Award of Merit - Historic Preservation of the 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse
Best Facade Rehabilitation Project for $15,000 or Less
· Clinton Award of Merit - Façade Improvement Project at 117 Vance Street 
Best Outdoor Space Improvement
· Elkin Award of Merit - 2013-2014 Main Street Mural Grant Project
· Hendersonville Award of Merit - Downtown Hendersonville Main Street Streetscape Rehabilitation Project

The conference continues Friday, March 20 at 8:15 a.m. during the Breakfast with Main Street Champions at 401 S. College Street in Morganton.  Secretary Skvarla and Dr. Mitchell  return to recognize 33 individual award winners.  Main Street Champions are designated by their local N.C. Main Street programs for their remarkable community contributions.  This year’s group of Main Street Champions brings the total number to 566 award winners since Champions were first named in 1980 as part of N.C. Main Street’s 20th anniversary celebration.

“Main Street Champions recognize the possibilities in their downtowns and strive to make those possibilities a reality,” said Liz Parham, director of the N.C. Main Street Center and the Office of Urban Development. “N.C. Main Street Champions are our communities most valued leaders honored for their commitment to downtown and to their community.  They are Main Street board members and volunteers, nonprofit leaders, downtown developers and small business owners.  They are those individuals that give 110% to their community and then ask, what’s next.” 


2014 N.C. Main Street Champions   
Nancy Joines, Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation
Transylvania Community Arts Council Board of Directors, Heart of Brevard, Inc. 
Douglas McCormac, Clayton Downtown Development Association
Debbie Roberts, Clinton Main Street Program
Ken Griffin, A.I.A., LEED-AP, Concord Downtown Development Corporation
Tom and Maryann Barbour, Eden Downtown Development Corporation
Chowan County Tourism Development Authority Board of Directors, Destination Downtown Edenton, Inc.
Susan Hinkle, Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc.
Chris Cartwright, Elkin Main Street Program
James Spidle, Fuquay-Varina Downtown
Rex Todd (posthumously), Garner Revitalization Association
Wayne Turner, Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation
Rhythm & Brews Set-up Team: Ralph Freeman, Mike Hall and Babs Newton, Downtown Hendersonville
Carolina Moon Theater Task Force: Ray Sawyer, Archie Aples, Dean Hoyt, Tom Loughlin, Chris Garrett, Historic Hertford, Inc.
Betty Mahoney, Hickory Downtown Development Association
William Robert (Rob) Bizzell, Pride of Kinston, Inc.
Matthew Underwood, Downtown Lenoir
Mike Turlington, Uptown Lexington, Inc.
Brooke Sherrill, Downtown Development Association of Lincolnton, Inc.
Boyd Phillips, Marion Business Association
Dr. Gresham Orrison, City of Morganton
The Stiver Family, Downtown Newton Development Association
Brad and Tammy Spencer, Reidsville Downtown Corporation
Greg Lawson, Main Street Roanoke Rapids
Margaret McMann, Roxboro Development Group
Mark Lewis, Downtown Salisbury, Inc.
Toby Morrison (posthumously), Downtown Sanford, Inc.
Shelby Savings Bank Kid Zone Team, Uptown Shelby Association
Chris Johnson, Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation
David and Rebecca Jones, Downtown Statesville Development Corporation
Dino Radosta, Wake Forest Downtown, Inc.
The Rex Feichter Family, Downtown Waynesville Association
Tom Corbett, Wilson Downtown Development Corporation

To learn more about Main Street Awards and Main Street Champions, visit https://vimeo.com/channels/ncmainstreet2015 to view a short video about each winner.   For more information about the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Main Street program, visit www.nccommerce.com.