(Washington, DC) – On Sunday, April 14th, H Street Main Street was presented with a 2013 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) recognizing accomplishments in revitalizing the nation’s historic Main Street commercial districts. Each year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Center recognizes exceptional Main Street communities whose successes serve as a model for comprehensive commercial district revitalization. Winners are selected from a nationwide pool of applicants by a national jury based on successful and innovative uses of the Main Street Four-Point Approach®. Representing H Street Main Street were DC Main Streets Coordinator, Cristina Amoruso, from the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD), and Executive Director of H Street Main Street (HSMS) organization, Anwar Saleem.
H Street Main Street Wins Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA)
Monday, April 15, 2013
Recognized as Outstanding Example of Urban Commercial Revitalization
Established in 2002 and managed through DSLBDs DC Main Streets Program, HSMS was designated as an organization to work with private and local partners to encourage and support small business growth and revitalization along the H Street, NE Corridor. Known as the last of the “riot corridors”, H Street built its legacy off of the civil rights era. Today H Street stands as a symbol of urban and cultural transformation and is recognized as a neighborhood that has gone through a rebirth, adding a unique and diverse mix of retail and service businesses, drawing thousands of tourists and local residents to the neighborhood each year.
“In the last ten years, H Street Main Street has supported the creation of more than 140 new businesses while adding an additional 1500 new jobs to the District,” said DSLBD Interim Director, Robert Summers. “While the economic impact has been substantial, we cannot forget about the important function that DC Main Streets serves, and that is to restore the vibrancy of traditional commercial corridors. Within a span of a decade, there have been many personal journeys that have been built around H Street, and DSLBD is ecstatic to learn that the small businesses and residents who have contributed to the success of the H Street corridor are being honored for their outstanding efforts. This is a remarkable achievement, and we congratulate everyone who was involved.”
“In our field, this award is like receiving an Oscar or a Grammy,” said Anwar Saleem, Executive Director of H Street Main Street . “Our eyes have been on this award since the time we knew it existed.”
“H Street Main Street is proving that it is possible to balance the needs of existing residents and business-owners while embracing new development and attracting new residents and visitors,” says Valecia Crisafulli, acting director of the National Main Street Center. “By giving the community a strong voice in shaping its future while promoting tools to preserve its heritage, H Street Main Street has brought about remarkable, sustainable change in 10 short years.”
About the District of Columbia Department of Small and Local Business Development
The District of Columbia Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) fosters the economic growth, development, and retention of District of Columbia based businesses, and promotes economic development throughout the District’s commercial corridors. There are currently seven Main Street Districts found throughout the District that are supported by DSLBD. For more information on all of DSLBD’s services and our DC Main Streets Program, go to http://dslbd.dc.gov/service/dc-main-streets-program or contact us at [email protected]. To find out more about H Street Main Street, please visit http://hstreet.org/