Destination Downtown South Boston (DDSB) has been designated as a 2020 Accredited Main Street America program.

Accredited status is Main Street America’s top tier of recognition and signifies a demonstrated commitment to comprehensive commercial district revitalization and proven track record of successfully applying the Main Street Approach.

Patrice Frey, president & CEO of the National Main Center, said, “Accredited Main Street programs have proven to be powerful engines for revitalization by sparking impressive economic returns and preserving the character of their communities. During these challenging times, these Main Street programs will be key to bringing economic vitality back to commercial districts and improving quality of life during the recovery process.”

DDSB’s performance is evaluated by Virginia Main Street, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet ten rigorous performance standards. Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building comprehensive and sustainable revitalization efforts and include standards such as fostering strong public-private partnerships, documenting programmatic progress, and actively preserving historic buildings.

Lin Hite, president of DDSB, said, “I am so proud of the hard work that the DDSB Board and volunteers have put in over the last few years to achieve this milestone - and even more proud of the positive changes this group of volunteers continues to bring to our downtown. Accreditation recognizes that South Boston’s downtown is a contributing part of this national movement, which celebrates community character, preserves local history and generates impressive economic returns. Exciting projects are taking place in our downtown, with more development on the horizon. That development has continued even in a time of economic downturn, which confirms the vitality of our downtown and our community.”

From The Gazette Virginian