URBAN SALISBURY RECEIVES 2009 NATIONAL TRUST MAIN STREET ACCREDITATION

Salisbury, Maryland (April 15, 2009) Urban Salisbury has been designated an accredited National Main Street Program for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Trust Main Street Center in Washington. Each year the Nation Trust and its coordinating program partners announce the list of accredited Main Street programs that have built strong revitalization organizations and have demonstrated their ability to use the Main Street methodology to better their communities.

“We congratulate this year’s nationally accredited Main Street programs for meeting our performance standards,” says Doug Loescher, director of the National Trust Main Street Center . “Rebuilding a downtown’s economic health and maintaining that success requires broad-based community involvement and support, for a solid organization with sound management that is committed to long term success.”

When Bruce Patterson, President of Urban Salisbury was told of the award, he remarked,” Our Members, Partners and Friends have worked hard and been loyal supporters. Although it’s ironic the award comes at this time, it’s great to have their efforts recognized at the national level.”

The National Trust Main Street Center works in partnership with Coordination Mains Street Programs throughout the nation to identify local programs that meet the National Trust’s 10 basic performance standards. These standards are the benchmarks for measuring an individual Main Street program’s ability to apply the Four Point Approach to commercial district revitalization. Evaluation criteria determines the programs that are building comprehensive, sustainable revitalization campaigns and include creation of a strategic mission, fostering public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, preserving historic buildings and fostering economic progress.

Urban Salisbury ’s performance was evaluated by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Main Street Maryland program.

Since 1980, the National Trust Main Street Center has helped hundreds of downtowns and commercial districts across the nation reclaim the unique quality of life that only a thriving community core can provide. The Main Street Four Point Approach combines historic preservation and economic development to become a nationwide movement for the revival of America ’s historic and traditional commercial districts.