Main Spotlight: Announcing the 2024 Great American Main Street Award Winners

Main Street America is proud to recognize NewTown Macon in Macon, Georgia; Madison Main Street Program in Madison, Indiana; and Monroeville Main Street in Monroeville, Alabama, as the 2024 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners. This prestigious award is the nation’s top award recognizing communities for their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization. The 2024 GAMSA honors, sponsored by The Hartford, were presented today at the opening plenary for the Main Street Now Conference in Birmingham, Alabama.

“Macon, Madison, and Monroeville serve as exemplary models for reenergizing downtown districts through collective action,” commented Main Street America President and CEO Erin Barnes. ​“Though each organization is unique in their approach, they all demonstrate excellence in fostering vibrant downtowns through grassroots economic development, preservation with a purpose, and creative problem solving.”

NewTown Macon – Macon, Georgia

Situated on the banks of the Ocmulgee River, downtown Macon is bustling with over 120 locally owned and operated restaurants, retailers, and entertainment venues. In 1996, the same district struggled with boarded up storefronts and neglected, vacant buildings. Where many saw a dead and decaying downtown, others envisioned a world-class city. Through the tenacious leadership of various stakeholders, the community rallied to form NewTown Macon which began implementing transformation strategies rooted in the Main Street Approach™. Macon officially became a Main Street community in 2011 and NewTown Macon adopted the Main Street program in 2018, leading to more synergy in Macon’s revitalization efforts and strengthened communication efforts amongst all downtown stakeholders.

NewTown Macon’s core values of local loyalty, imagination, action, empowerment, and accountability, serve as cornerstones for the organization’s commitment to grassroots revitalization efforts. To ensure that their work reflects the diversity of the community, NewTown Macon engages in initiatives designed to foster a welcoming district and to nurture generational wealth building through entrepreneurship and property ownership. The organization bolsters their commitment to attracting, retaining, and growing small businesses with engaging promotional events that encourage visitors to patronize downtown retailers. Through accessible loan capital using historic tax credits, NewTown Macon has added 371 units of housing, 67 storefronts, and over 1000 residents. The organization has also helped 23 local entrepreneurs purchase and renovate commercial spaces for their businesses and has leveraged $4.5 million to fund 100 grants pitched and implemented by residents designed to realize visions outlined in the Macon Action Plan. 

Now, the downtown is a thriving hub of activity for residents, visitors, and entrepreneurs eager to create a vibrant and prosperous future for generations of Maconites to come. 

Learn more about NewTown Macon here >

Madison Main Street Program – Madison, Indiana

Founded in 1979 as one of the nation’s first three pilot Main Street programs, Madison Main Street Program (MMSP) has leveraged their community’s unique assets to create a downtown district buzzing with historic character, local pride, and over 270 locally owned businesses. When MMSP began implementing the Main Street Approach™, downtown Madison faced many of the same problems impacting most rural Midwest towns in the late 1970s: the disappearance of residents and businesses due to urban sprawl. Over the past 40 years, MMSP leaders and partners have reversed this trend through community consensus and initiatives that balance historic preservation with forward-thinking ideas.

One particularly notable example of MMSP’s dedication to future-focused historic preservation is the adaptive renovation of the historic Eagle Cotton Mill (b. 1884), an abandoned and blighted 72,000-square-foot building located at the downtown’s gateway. The organization’s track record of creating a vibrant downtown district provided the project’s team with confidence to undertake and complete the $23 million investment. Madison Main Street Program also takes a steady and strategic approach to catalyzing downtown vibrancy. Biennial loft tours, market data-informed business recruitment, and free small business workshops are attracting more residents and entrepreneurs to the downtown. Additionally, the organization’s commitment to fostering a welcoming and inclusive revitalization movement through their Recruitment Task Force and support of the Rainbow River club, a monthly social gathering for LGBTQ+ community members, has enhanced Madison’s reputation as a welcoming place and has added eight new LGTBQ+ owned businesses to the downtown.

Today, downtown Madison is a beacon where historic preservation is a community commitment, culture and the arts are celebrated, and residents and newcomers alike are choosing to stay for a lifetime.

Read more about Madison Main Street Program here >

Monroeville Main Street – Monroeville, Alabama

In rural southwest Alabama, where the Black Belt Heritage Area meets the coastal plain, Monroeville is a small town making monumental strides in enhancing the quality of life of its residents and creating an inviting international tourist destination. Just nine years ago, the historic district suffered from a high vacancy rate of 31 percent, with many of its buildings sitting empty and unused. In 2014, Monroeville Main Street was established to revive the downtown. Through catalytic projects, strategic initiatives, and passionate people, downtown Monroeville has experienced a profound aesthetic and economic turnaround.

Initial efforts included small, but highly visible, design and promotion projects such as branded pedestrian banners, sidewalk pressure cleaning, and the installation of self-watering planters. Monroeville Main Street then leveraged the community’s revived pride of place to celebrate the town’s literary heritage through public art projects including the installation of 17 murals, 14 bronze sculptures, and a 24-panel story trail. They have also worked with local developers and other partners to facilitate the renovation and adaptive reuse of 42 properties, resulting in the creation of 15 loft apartments, 12 new commercial spaces, and 23 smaller and more affordable storefronts. From façade improvements to complete restorations, these projects (valued at $6 million) have breathed new life into the downtown’s historic buildings. To date, 42 new businesses have opened, creating over 72 new jobs — a significant number for the town of 5,900 residents — and the vacancy rate has dropped to 5 percent.

Monroeville’s commitment to historic preservation and dedication to working with partners to maintain their rich arts and architectural heritage is fueling a renaissance in Alabama’s Literary Capital for generations to come.

Check out Monroeville Main Street here >