Main Street Sylva Association (MSSA) 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 designated programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™.
Main Street America recognizes two tiers of national designation — Affiliate and Accredited. These designations are a powerful advocacy tool, signaling to local stakeholders, as well as city, state, and national funders, that a Main Street program has an established position within a nationwide movement with a 45-year proven track record of generating impressive economic returns, building local capacity, creating welcoming and inviting communities, and creating lasting impact.
“Main Street America is proud to recognize this year’s 821 Accredited Main Street America programs for their commitment to building strong and vibrant communities,” said Erin Barnes, President and CEO of Main Street America. “Their tireless efforts show what’s possible when engaged leaders work together to shape places that reflect the people they serve. The continued impact of our network shows that the Main Street movement remains a powerful force for positive transformation.”
The MSSA’s performance was evaluated through assessments conducted by the organization’s personnel and board of directors, and the Main Street Sylva Association, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify local programs that meet rigorous national community evaluation standards.
These standards provide the Main Street America network with a strong foundational framework to review progress, recognize strengths, understand trends, and identify strategies that move Main Street programs forward. To quality for Accredited status—Main Street America’s top designation tier—communities must demonstrate a proved track record of achieving outcomes in alignment with the Main Street Approach and exceptional performance in six areas: broad-based community commitment to revitalization; inclusive leadership and organizational capacity; diversified funding and sustainable program operations; strategy-driven programming; preservation-based economic development; and demonstrated impact and results.
In 2024, Main Street America programs generated $7.65 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,324 new businesses, facilitated the creation of 33,835 new jobs, rehabilitated 10,126 historic buildings, and logged 1.9 million volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, $21.73 was reinvested into their downtown and commercial corridor communities.
The Town of Sylva funded $230,546 downtown projects, including the expansion of an outdoor event center. Private property owners and businesses invested $$623,432 to improve historic buildings and build out spaces for new and existing business. MSSA Board and Committee Members and volunteers contributed over 676 volunteer hours hosting events, promoting businesses, cleaning up the downtown district and providing leadership for economic development, which equates to a $22,000 investment.
Main Street Sylva Association President, Jay Spiro, explained, “As one of the founding members of Sylva’s Main Street Program, I was impressed to see how the merchants stepped up to improve the look of downtown as a result of the façade grant program that we implemented.” Thirty thousand in grant funding resulted in 14 projects and $180,000 in private investments,” said Spiro.
The Main Street Sylva Association (MSSA) is a non-profit entity formed with the mission to spur economic development in the town of Sylva using the National Main Street Center’s Four Point Approach: Design, Organization, Promotion, and Economic Restructuring. The initiatives will not only benefit downtown Sylva but all of the Sylva Main Street Corridor and arteries from the Dillsboro city limits through the end of the Sylva City limits on Highway 107.
The organization has taken on some of Sylva’s longstanding events such as Greening Up the Mountains, Treat Street, and the Christmas Parade. Board members represent key areas of Sylva related to the Main Street program, such as independent businesses, the arts, garden & streetscape, historic preservation, county and town planning, and residential. Tourists, locals, and adjacent town neighbors enjoy the small-town atmosphere and retail shops that support a growing outdoor economy.
Mission Statement: The mission of the Main Street Sylva Association is to promote downtown revitalization through community and economic development within the context of historic preservation. As a Main Street America™ Accredited program, the Main Street Sylva Association is a recognized leading program among the national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities that share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. All Main Street America™ Accredited programs meet a set of National Accreditation Standards of Performance as outlined by Main Street America. For more information, visit www.MainStreetSylva.org.
