Downtown Bradford and Ridgway Main Street are now certified with National Main Street Accreditation by the Pennsylvania Downtown Center with a presentation ceremony Wednesday afternoon in Erie.
Bradford’s Main Street Manager Chelsea Kahle told The Era Friday that the certification is not only an honor but will aid the downtown program as it applies for funding.
“It’s nice to be recognized for the hard work (former Main Street Manager) Anita (Dolan) started and I’m continuing,” Kahle said. “But, also, it gives us a little more priority when applying for funding over other programs that aren’t certified.”
Additionally, Bradford’s main thoroughfare is now listed as a National Main Street, and as such is featured in the “list of Main Streets that go above and beyond to improve their downtown business districts and support small, local business,” she explained.
The programs in Bradford and Ridgway received the accreditation because they met all 10 standards of performance, including broad-based community support for the commercial district revitalization, with strong support from both the public and private sectors, and a mission relevant to community conditions and comprehensive work plan.
The two programs also showed they possessed an historic preservation ethic, an active board of directors and committees, an adequate operating budget, a paid professional program manager and a program of ongoing training for staff and volunteers. Additionally, they continue to report key statistics and are current members of the National Trust Main Street Network.
Kahle said programs are accredited on a yearly basis, so they must continuously meet the criteria and keep up the requirements in order to maintain the level of recognition.
“Unofficially, they have said they were impressed with our facade program, how many facades go through in a year and the quality of work done on facade improvement,” Kahle related. “Also, they noted the amount of historical architecture we have still intact and what we’ve been doing to maintain and improve it.
“Pennsylvania Downtown Center recognized that we’re a well-rounded downtown and also a well-rounded community,” she continued. “We are a Keystone Community and have an Elm Street program.”
The gathering in Erie on Wednesday served as a networking meeting for regional managers for Elm Street and Main Street managers, so Kahle said she was joined by Lisa Keck, who heads up Bradford’s Elm Street program as well as City Councilman Brad Mangel, who serves as a board member for the Main Street program, and Lou Costa, who serves on the Safe, Clean and Green Committee of the Elm Street program. Costa, who is also looking to implement a neighborhood watch in the Congress-Elm street area, joined Mangel at a leadership forum while they were in Erie Wednesday, according to Kahle.
Kahle said the certification “is something to be proud of — not just Main Street, but Elm Street and the work throughout the whole community.
“We’re a good example for a lot of communities just starting down the path of revitalization, working their way into a Main Street or Elm Street program,” she added. “We have both programs, and a lot of communities don’t get that — we have enough interest to spearhead both programs and for them to be successful enough to get this kind of recognition.”
Multiple calls to Ridgway Main Street Manager Michelle Bogacki were not returned to The Era.
Michael DePanfilis, who represents the Ridgway Elk County Chamber of Commerce on the Main Street program steering committee, said the certification is something to take pride in.
“Ridgway is real proud of their downtown and their Main Street program,” DePanfilis stated. “It’s something good to look at and say we’re proud of this because all that work that has been done — there’s something to show for it.
“And, it’s not just the people in Ridgway seeing it, but the people in Harrisburg and even nationally recognizing the upswing,” he added.
For more information about Pennsylvania Downtown Center, visit www.padowntown.org.
