Franklin, LA May 2, 2023 – The City of Franklin has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America™ program for meeting rigorous performance standards. Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the list of Accredited programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™.
“We are very proud to acknowledge this year’s 862 Accredited Main Street America programs, and their steadfast dedication to nurture economically and culturally vibrant downtown districts,” said Hannah White, Interim President & CEO of Main Street America. “The increase in the size and impact of our network speaks volumes to the power of the Main Street movement to respond to the needs of local communities and drive innovative solutions.”
In 2022, Main Street America programs generated $6.2 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 7,657 net new businesses, facilitated the creation of 29,174 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,688 historic buildings, and leveraged 1,528,535 volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, it generated $24.07 of new investment back into their downtown communities.
Collectively, 2 million people live or work within the boundaries of designated Main Street America districts. An estimated workforce of 1.1 million people contribute their skills and expertise to advancing the missions of these historic downtowns and commercial corridors.
The City of Franklin’s performance is annually evaluated by the Louisiana Main Street Program, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet rigorous national performance standards. To quality for Accreditation status, communities must meet a set of rigorous standards that include commitments to building grassrootsrevitalization programs, fostering strong public-private partnerships, nurturing economic opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and actively preserving historic places, spaces, and cultural assets.
The City of Franklin is undergoing a very strong Revitalization Movement fueled by Mayor Eugene Foulcard and the citizens of Franklin. “Franklin has seen massive investment during the pandemic wherein over 40 new businesses opened to date.”, stated Mayor Foulcard. “This is causing an influx of developers to look at Franklin as an incubator of business as well as global industry such as the recent announcement of KUMOH Tires constructing a Distribution & Logistics Center here. Franklin has also seen established businesses either expand or re-investing into their businesses. With an addition of a $24 Million Dollar state of the art Wellness Center Bayou Bend Health Systems is also increasing its footprint in the region. “Consumer confidence and energy level in Franklin is at an all-time high.” Stated Franklin Main Street Director Ed “Tiger” Verdin. “It’s an energy that not only can be seen but also felt by tourists and locals alike. This Revitalization Movement caused us to then coin the phrases #PardonOurRevitalization#UnderTheLampposts.”