The Stevensville Main Street Association, which is part of the Montana Main Street Program, recently received a letter from Governor Steve Bullock congratulating the organization on receiving its 2013 accreditation from the National Main Street program.
The Montana Main Street Program assists communities in revitalizing and strengthening downtown commercial districts, while also offering technical assistance, expertise and competitive grant funding to its member communities. Each year it works in partnership with the National Main Street Center to evaluate and identify the local programs that meet the highest performance standards. The standards set the benchmarks for measuring s local program’s revitalization efforts.
Work was recently completed on the Main Street Improvement Project that was funded through a $500,000 federal grant administered by Ravalli County that the Stevensville Main Street Association successfully applied for on behalf of the Town of Stevensville. The grant funds were matched by about $67,000 in local funds, about $20,000 of which was contributed by the town government and the rest coming from private donations. The project included sidewalk repairs, installation of bulb-outs, bike racks and other improvements on Main Street in the downtown district.
Governor Bullock said that his department was looking forward “to continued work with the Stevensville Main Street Association and the Town of Stevensville to successfully assist with projects that improve the economic, historic, and cultural vitality of Stevensville’s downtown district.”
“Again, congratulations for your fine work in the Montana Main Street Program and your national recognition,” wrote Bullock.
The Stevensville Main Street Association was created in 2000 and is one of only two nationally accredited programs in Montana (Butte is the other). The program closely follows the national guidelines for continued viability, which include having a paid director and funding the program through membership, special events, grants and local government. Currently the Stevensville Main Street Association has a contract for services with the Town of Stevensville.