Image courtesy of JMMS

A local main street organization recently received notification of a national designation.

Jefferson Matters: Main Street was named a semi-finalist for the Great American Main Street Award. The designation is given by the National Main Street Center for communities that show their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization. 

JMMS joins seven other semi-finalists that were selected from a nationwide pool of accredited Main Street American applicants. Criteria that is used for the award includes volunteer, partner and community engagement; community transformation; commitment to historic preservation; impactful public/private partnerships, entrepreneurship development; people-centered design; and the community’s approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The three finalists will be announced in May. The last Iowa community that was named a Great American Main Street was Woodbine in 2014.