Historic Manassas (HMI) receives two Virginia Main Street Milestone Awards

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Richmond, VA – On March 16, HMI was presented with two Virginia Main Street Milestone Achievement Awards.  One was for reaching $35 million in private investment in Old Town since the program began in 1985.  The other milestone reached was the accumulation of 25,000 volunteer hours devoted to old town revitalization over the same period.  The awards were presented at the annual Virginia Main Street Milestone Achievements ceremony held this year at the historic Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va.

HMI is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization formed in November 1985 to promote a positive image of Old Town Manassas and to strengthen its revitalization.  Three years later, Manassas was selected to join the Virginia Main Street Program, and HMI adopted as its mission statement, the four-point program of Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Restructuring recommended by the statewide organization

Historic Manassas, Inc. is an award winning Main Street Program 22 years later.  HMI is the recipient of the prestigious 2001 Society of American Travel Writers “Phoenix Award”, which honors individuals and organizations for outstanding efforts in conservation, preservation and restoration of travel destinations.  Over the years, HMI has been the recipient of several awards from the Virginia Downtown Development Association, the Virginia Festival and Events Association as well as the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association.

David Smith, Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia, addressed the attendees of the luncheon, which acknowledged the achievements of Main Street volunteers, local leaders, businesses, local governments and private investors.  “The revitalization of Virginia’s downtown areas through the Virginia Main Street program and the hard work and dedication of local staff and volunteers is a key component of Virginia’s overall economic growth and strength,” said Smith.  

Speakers at the event included Cate Magennis Wyatt, President of The Journey Through Hallowed Ground, who spoke to the importance of building a strong network of local, regional and other partners to develop a common vision for each community’s future based on its unique traits and characteristics.  Bill Shelton, Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development took part in the awards presentations and praised the communities for their efforts to improve their downtowns.  

The awards luncheon was attended by HMI President Carl Ford, Treasurer Steve Nelson, board member Roger Snyder, and Executive Director Linda Robertson.  “What has been achieved in Manassas is the result of a public/private collaborative effort that has no equal,” said Ford.  “Our many volunteer organizations and City leaders work side by side without political divisiveness and without concern for who gets credit for a job well done,” he continued.

“While these milestone awards measure the private sector participation, our City government has created and sustained a political and economic climate that encourages this private investment,” said Steve Nelson, owner of Junction Travel located on Main St. in Old Town.

HMI Treasurer Steve Nelson, President Carl Ford, and Executive Director Linda Robertson display the two milestone awards
earned by HMI and given at the annual awards luncheon in Richmond.

In addition to Manassas, VMS also recognized the following communities for excellence:

 
•    Bedford
•    Culpeper
•    Franklin
•    Harrisonburg
•    Lynchburg
•    Martinsville
•    South Boston
•    Staunton
•    Waynesboro
•    Winchester

The Virginia Main Street program, managed by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, provides assistance and training to help communities increase the economic vitality of their downtown commercial districts.  
 

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