MAIN STREET UNION CITY RECEIVES 2023 MAIN STREET AMERICA ACCREDITATION

UNION CITY, TENN.– Main Street Union City 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. 

Main Street Union City’s performance is annually evaluated by the Tennessee Main Street Program, 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, Main Street Union City helped facilitate seven private building rehab projects downtown and welcomed four new businesses. The organization also held eight special events throughout the year that brought a combined total of approximately 10,250 community members together to celebrate downtown, including the popular Tacos and Tamales, Run the Rails event and Christmas events. 

“Being named an accredited Main Street program validates all the hard work, dedication and time we put in over the past year,” said Brooke Simmons, board president of Main Street Union City. “As a board, we all want what is best for our downtown, and we know that with this accreditation, we can confidently communicate with our sponsors and community members the importance of investing in our downtown.”

Main Street Union City has just hired a full-time director to lead the organization. Katie Graves began her duties as executive director on May 1, 2023. Her background in public relations and marketing will help increase the communication with board members, sponsors, Main Street members and the community. She will be the lead on all grants, events and promotional efforts in revitalizing downtown Union City.

To find out more about Main Street Union City, visit mainstreetunioncity.org and follow the organization on Facebook and Instagram.

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Photo caption: Main Street Union City is an accredited Main Street Program for 2023. Pictured from left to right: Charlene Burpo, past-president of Main Street Union City board of directors; Brooke Simmons, president; Katie Graves, Main Street Executive Director; Lauren Tanner, past executive director; and Laura Soto, secretary. Tanner was a key player in submitting reports back in January 2023 to help Main Street Union City continue to be an accredited program.