Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
Three communities in the Radius Indiana region focused on revitalizing their downtowns learned on Thursday that they were approved to join the Indiana Main Street program.
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced 14 organizations have been recognized as Indiana Main Street programs or have moved into a new Indiana Main Street level.
Possibilities in Paoli, Historic Shoals River District and INergize Linton are now members of the OCRA Downtown Affiliate Network. Groups of volunteers in each community spent months learning about Indiana Main Street and exploring how the program could benefit their downtowns.
“Possibilities in Paoli has come such a long way in such a short period of time. We started out as a group of concerned individuals who believed Paoli had what it took to be something great,” said Chelsey Thomas, president of Possibilities in Paoli. “Each meeting more and more momentum grew and people became excited about all of our ‘Possibilities.’ The people that have attended meeting after meeting truly love and care for our community and want to see it thrive, revitalize and expand. We are extremely excited and proud to receive our ODAN Main Street Designation and cannot wait to use that to continue to move our vision forward. Because…the Possibilities are endless with Paoli.”
Possibilities in Paoli formed about a year ago. A spring 2023 dinner brought out 40 people who wanted to learn about revitalizing downtown. The group now has a 10-member board and four committees. After a tornado caused damage to several downtown buildings last summer, Possibilities in Paoli organized a cleanup day and painted encouraging messages on store windows. In observance of Veterans Day, the group collected photos of the county’s veterans and turned them into a montage of the historic courthouse. At Christmas, the group sponsored visits with Santa Claus.
“We want to give people a reason to come downtown and for local residents to have something to be proud of,” said Brandon Query, board member and treasurer of Possibilities in Paoli.
The Indiana Main Street program annually accepts applications for three levels, which include:
- Indiana Accredited Main Street: IAMS programs meet all Accreditation Standards set forth by Main Street America but may lack a full-time paid staff person and do not have an identified transformation strategy.
- Aspiring Indiana Accredited Main Street: A-IAMS programs are within one year of meeting all Accreditation Standards set forth by Main Street America and lack a full-time paid staff person.
- OCRA’s Downtown Affiliate Network: ODAN communities may be organizations that prefer to specialize in event-related activities only, lack the physical or historical capacity required to qualify as a Main Street organization or are working towards building capacity to meet the Main Street America Accreditation Standards.
“Indiana Main Street communities are one of the greatest quality of life assets we have across the state,” said Crouch, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “I am thrilled that these 14 communities are taking the extra step to highlight what makes their downtowns unique.”
The organizations earning new Indiana Main Street designations include:
Indiana Accredited Main Street
- Dillsboro Main Street
- Streets of Monticello Association
Aspiring Indiana Accredited Main Street
- Boonville NOW
- Sheridan Main Street
- Tipton Main Street
OCRA Downtown Affiliate Network
- Alexandria Main Street, Inc.
- INergize Linton
- Historic Marion Inc.
- Middletown Main Street
- Discover New Carlisle
- New Haven – Historic Broadway Inc.
- Heart of Poseyville
- Possibilities in Paoli
- Historic Shoals River District
A main street organization’s performance is evaluated by Indiana Main Street, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify organizations that meet rigorous performance standards.
“Congratulations to these 14 communities for elevating their organization’s status in the Main Street network, and for ODAN communities joining the network,” said OCRA Executive Director Duke Bennett. “In 2023, our Indiana Main Street team provided more than $621,000 in value of in-kind services to main street communities, which includes technical assistance visits and trainings, community exchanges throughout the state, and ongoing support. I look forward to seeing these Main Street organizations showcasing their downtowns and what makes them unique.”
The 14 organizations will be provided with a formal certificate, access to Main Street America and Indiana Main Street trainings, networking opportunities with other regional and statewide programs, a resource toolbox unique to their needs, and more.
To learn more about the Indiana Main Street program, visit in.gov/ocra/mainstreet. To view the full directory of Indiana Main Street communities, visit in.gov/ocra/mainstreet/community-directory.