Main Street Toccoa Receives National Accreditation

Main Street Toccoa receives its national accreditation once again.

Recently, the National Main Street Center announced that it has bestowed that accreditation upon Toccoa’s downtown program.

Toccoa Community Planning and Downtown Development Director Connie Tabor says that Main Street Toccoa is evaluated annually for accreditation by the Georgia Downtown Association, which works in partnership with the National Main Street Center.

Tabor said those agencies look for programs that meet ten different performance standards.

“It is based on comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts that include public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, and tracking your program’s performance,” said Tabor.

She went on to say that accreditation process also looks at how closely a local Main Street program follows the Main Street Four Point Approach to commercial district revitalization.

According to Tabor, that approach is organization, promotion, economic restructuring, and design.

“They look at the program’s ability to actively preserve historic buildings,” said Tabor. “They look at business recruitment, business retention, expansions, design of the actual infrastructure of the buildings, streetscapes, promotions and events that are held throughout the year.”

In 2014, Main Street Toccoa said it executed 35 downtown events, received Georgia Council for the Arts grant funds, continued weekly communication with business owners, published the 4th annual Main Street Directory, continued the historic plaque program with three downtown buildings, and awarded three facade grants and four Currahee Street Beautification grants.

According to Main Street Toccoa, there was $1.78 million in public and private investment downtown in 2014, while 12 buildings were renovated, a net of nine new businesses opened with a net of 21 new jobs and three business expansions.

Main Street Toccoa, which was formed in 1990, has been accredited every year since 1999.

Tabor said it is an honor to once again receive the recognition

“We are very excited that Main Street Toccoa is designated again this year for 2015 as an accredited National Main Street program,” said Tabor.

She went on to say that Main Street Toccoa continually strives to strengthen the downtown’s role as the heart of Toccoa and will continue to look ahead in the upcoming year for opportunities in downtown preservation.

Meanwhile, Toccoa was not the only area city to receive Main Street accreditation.

Lavonia and Royston did as well.