Cape Charles Main Street Receives 2023 MAIN STREET AMERICA Accreditation

Cape Charles, Virginia – Cape Charles 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™.

 “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.

Cape Charles Main Street’s performance is annually evaluated by the State of Virginia’s Department of Housing and Community Development which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet rigorous national performance standards. To qualify for Accreditation status, communities must meet a set of rigorous standards that include commitments 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.

In 2022, Cape Charles Main Street invested $68,887 in Business and Town Support, completed a grant awarding $896,115 in support to 88 businesses for Covid relief, completed beautification projects totaling $59,000 and invested $38,246 in events such as Festive Fridays, LoveFest and the Love Run to help fund projects moving forward.

According to Bill Stramm, President of Cape Charles Main Street, “Our organization has thrived because of volunteers who work tirelessly to bring these events and projects to fruition”.

Volunteers have contributed a total of 6,278 hours of their time with an estimated market value of $188,026. “I am honored to work with such a dedicated board of individuals and volunteers who demonstrate every day how much this town means to them with a gift of their time” said Karen Zamorski, Executive Director of Cape Charles Main Street.