NC Main Street America Program  

 

TRYON—On April 25, The North Carolina Department of Commerce announced that the National Main Street Center designated 46 North Carolina communities as accredited Main Street America programs for 2019. The Town of Tryon was among those selected to be a part of the Main Street America program; this is the third consecutive year that Tryon has been selected for the program.  

The NC Main Street America program works across the state to inspire Placemaking through building asset-based economic development strategies to achieve measurable results through investment, business growth, and jobs. The Main Street America program works to improve economic development while also adhering to strict guideline of maintaining historic preservation in a community. The program focuses on building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development from within the community.  

Every year the Main Street and Rural Planning Center, Parts of the NC Department of Commerce, recognize communities for demonstrating an exemplary commitment to the preservation-based economic development that they encourage.  

The Tryon Downtown Development Association (TDDA) works diligently with local businesses and residents to adhere to the guidelines presented by the Main Street America program.  TDDA President Scott Hooper said that being validated through the Main Street America program is huge for Tryon and that much of the credit for achieving that feat goes to TDDA Executive Director Jamie Carpenter. “Since we brought her (Jamie Carpenter) on as a full time employee, it has given us the ability to have a permanent presence downtown to help us keep a finger on the pulse of the downtown community and help drive it,” Hooper said. “Being a part of the Main Street program gives us access to great ideas from across North Carolina that we could implement here. All the certified and registered towns in the program meet at an annual conference to communicate different ideas and programs going on in their communities,” Hooper said. “It also gives us the opportunity to reach out for grant funding and other opportunities for the community through the Main Street America program and NC Chamber of Commerce.” 

“We were able to get accredited and have been for the past three years,” Carpenter said. “We became an official NC Main Street program in 2015, since 2017 we have been accredited which means we follow the best programs and policies of the Main Street America program.” 

Carpenter said that generous funding from the Polk County Community foundation has helped the Town of Tryon achieve this accreditation. Hooper and Carpenter both emphasized the importance of community involvement in TDDA programs and events to allow the town to continue to be a part of the Main Street America program.  

“The cool thing about TDDA and our work is that there is something magical about the Town of Tryon,” Hooper said. “There is just an energy to this place that makes all of us and the board members want to make it even better.” 

If anyone would like to be involved with TDDA and with what they do in Downtown Tryon, contact Jamie Carpenter at, Jamie@downtowntryon.org, they will have their annual meeting in June.   

—By Samuel Robinson 

Sam.robinson@tryondailybulletin.com