SANTA FE – The National Trust Main Street Center announced that New Mexico MainStreet met national standards for state coordinating programs. The New Mexico Economic Development Department has gained re-accreditation to be licensed to operate the New Mexico MainStreet Program.
“MainStreet is our premier community economic development program,” said Economic Development Cabinet Secretary Jon Barela. “We are very happy that we can continue to serve our existing affiliates, and move forward to serve more communities and develop new opportunities for community and rural economic development in New Mexico.”
Senior Program officers Kathy La Plante and Norma Rodriguez de Miess conducted the biennial assessment. They spent four days in New Mexico conducting seven focus groups and more than 70 interviews and phone consultations with New Mexico’s local MainStreet leaders, partnering organizations, state leaders and agency heads.
The assessment assists the state director and MainStreet staff craft a more efficient and productive economic development program. “It is place-based, community economic development using the unique architectural and cultural assets within a local MainStreet district to enhance the vitality of the traditional commercial core,” said Rich Williams, MainStreet state director.
“We were extremely impressed with the high-level of satisfaction for the professional services delivered to communities by the Economic Development Department through New Mexico MainStreet, especially to rural communities throughout the state, resulting in real, positive local economic impact,” said Kathy La Plante, National Trust Senior Program Officer.
New Mexico MainStreet is a public/private economic development partnership with 22 affiliated communities doing downtown revitalization. The Economic Development Department partners with the municipality and a local group of downtown stakeholders who have formed a non-profit revitalization organization.
The MainStreet Four Point Approach® (Design, Organization, Promotion and Economic Positioning), is at the heart of proven set of revitalization strategies that incrementally and comprehensively restore and enhance local town center economies. More than 1,800 communities nationally have utilized the strategies with 32 states operating similar state Main Street coordinating programs.
Last year New Mexico’s MainStreet District’s created more than 550 jobs, completed more than 150 commercial building rehabilitations and leveraged more than $9,000,000 of private sector reinvestment. The success of the program has created a backlog of more than 15 New Mexico communities interested in applying for designation and inclusion in the program.
“We were encouraged by the Economic Development Department’s commitment of its leadership for the continued support of existing local programs and future growth of the state program to serve more of New Mexico’s downtown’s, village plazas and traditional town centers,” stated National Trust Senior Program Officer Norma Miess.
New Mexico MainStreet expects to open a competitive application process for two new “Emerging” communities this fall.
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