Boyne City named Great American Main Street semi-finalist

Competition recognizes communities for exceptional commercial revitalization efforts

LANSING, Mich. – The city of Boyne City has been named a semi-finalist in the National Main Street Center’s Great American Main Street competition, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today.

“As a result of hard work and an extreme belief in downtown, the city of Boyne City fits the definition of a Great American Main Street,” said MEDC Senior Vice President of Community Development Katharine Czarnecki. “Boyne City has worked diligently to enhance the sense of place and improve the character of its downtown, and is well-deserving of this recognition.”

Boyne City is an active participant in MEDC’s Michigan Main Street program. Since its inception in 2003, the program has aimed to create communities distinguished by a “sense of place.” The rationale is based on a range of studies that show investing in creating a sense of place is an integral part of developing vibrant city centers and downtowns, thereby making the state economically stronger and culturally diverse.

The Boyne City Main Street program has been an active part of Michigan Main Street at MEDC for 15 years. Since then the program has become the motivation for a newly energized community. It has completed 37 façade rehabilitations for a total investment of nearly $28 million, logged more than 49,175 volunteer hours and brought in 85 net new businesses to the downtown.

The Boyne City Main Street program has also been a catalyst for economic development in downtown Boyne City. Team Boyne, the program’s economic vitality committee, supports a diverse mix of year-round small business and has championed data-based recruitment and retention efforts. Through the support of the Main Street program, several key developments have occurred in the downtown district, including the One Water Street development and Lake Street development, both of which house businesses that add to the vibrancy of downtown Boyne.

“Boyne City Main Street is honored to be named a semifinalist for the Great American Main Street Award,” said Boyne City Main Street Executive Director Kelsie King-Duff. “Being named to the top 10 not only honors and validates everything our community, and most importantly our volunteers have worked towards over the last 15 years, but sets the stage for the goals yet to be reached.”

Michigan's Boyne City has been named a semi-finalist in the National Main Street Center’s Great American Main Street competition. Since its inception in 2003, Boyne City has been an active participant in MEDC’s Michigan Main Street program, which aims to create communities distinguished by a “sense of place.”

The Great American Main Street Award recognizes exceptional Main Street communities whose successes serve as a model for comprehensive, preservation-based commercial district revitalization. Since the program’s inception in 1995, more than 90 Main Street programs have been honored.

To be recognized, communities must demonstrate overall strength in the Main Street program and documented success in creating an exciting place to live, work, play and visit; demonstrate impact aligning with the Main Street Approach; show a commitment to historic preservation; have active involvement of the public and private sector; and demonstrate model partnerships, including inclusive engagement of community members and local stakeholders in the downtown revitalization process.

The 2019 Great American Main Street winners will be announced in March at the 2019 Main Street Now Conference in Seattle, Wash. To learn more, visit here: https://www.mainstreet.org/blogs/national-main-street-center/2018/08/22/your-2019-great-american-main-street-award-semifin.

The Michigan Main Street Center supports local communities across Michigan as they implement the Main Street Four-Point Approach®, a community-driven, comprehensive strategy encouraging economic development through historic preservation in ways appropriate for the modern marketplace. Over the past year, Michigan Main Street communities generated more than $47.5 million in private investment, 105 new businesses and 127 façade improvements.

The Michigan Main Street program ties in with Gov. Rick Snyder’s placemaking efforts to create vibrant communities across Michigan. These efforts are based on numerous studies showing that investing in placemaking creates vibrant city centers and downtowns, making the state economically stronger. There are currently 27 communities participating in the Michigan Main Street at engaged, select and master levels. Each level provides services based on a community’s commitment, from one to five years in the program.

Since its inception in 2003, the Michigan Main Street has been a catalyst for job growth, private investment and community engagement. From 2003 through 2017, 1,183 new businesses have been launched, with a total public investment of nearly $85 million and total private investment of $257.8 million. In addition, more than 78,082 volunteer hours were recorded in the task of revitalizing downtowns across the state.

More information on the National Main Street Center is available online at http://www.mainstreet.org/. For further information on the Michigan Main Street Program, visit https://www.miplace.org/communities/mms/.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.