Up from $76 million in 2015
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 17, 2017) — The Kentucky Main Street Program (KYMS) announced this week that 39 participating communities reported cumulative investment of $109,741,515 in their commercial downtown districts in 2016, a number that includes $75,070,029 of private investment matched by $30,920,494 in public improvements. The total was up significantly from the $76 million of cumulative investment reported by 44 communities in 2015.
Administered by the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office, Kentucky Main Street is the oldest statewide downtown economic revitalization program in the nation, based on the National Main Street Center (NMSC) Four-Point Approach emphasizing organization, promotion, design and economic vitality. Since the program’s inception in 1979, KYMS can document more than $3.9 billion of public-private investment throughout the Commonwealth.
Kentucky Main Street communities in 2016 reported:
- 1,452 new jobs created in Main Street districts
- 234 new businesses created
- 81 new housing units in downtowns
- 198 building rehabilitation projects completed
- $51,433,241 invested in historic building rehabilitation
KYMS Administrator Kitty Dougoud also announced that 29 communities have achieved accreditation for 2017 as certified by both Kentucky Main Street and the National Main Street Center.Accredited programs have met all of the 10 performance standards set forth by NMSC. They are:
- Bardstown
- Bellevue
- Cadiz
- Campbellsville
- Carrollton
- Covington
- Cynthiana
- Danville
- Dawson Springs
- Frankfort
- Guthrie
- Harrodsburg
- Henderson
- LaGrange
- London
- Maysville
- Morehead
- Murray
- New Castle
- Paducah
- Perryville
- Pikeville
- Pineville
- Princeton
- Shelbyville
- Springfield
- Taylorsville
- Williamsburg
- Winchester
Affiliate programs have met at least five of the 10 accreditation standards, and Network programs are those in the beginning phases of the program or in some form of transition. Those earning affiliate status are:
- Marion
- Paintsville
- Scottsville
- Tri-Cities program including Benham, Cumberland and Lynch
- Network programs are Dayton, Middlesboro, Nicholasville and Wayland.
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