Eighteen Wisconsin Main Street communities have proven to be the cream of the crop in the state as they have been nationally accredited as 2010 National Main Street Programs. The Wisconsin Main Street Program, in partnership with the National Trust Main Street Center, has verified that each of the local Main Street programs has met rigorous performance standards for comprehensive commercial district revitalization. One of the Wisconsin communities earning the accreditation was Chippewa Falls!

“To become a Main Street Community in the state is quite an accomplishment,” said Department of Commerce (Commerce) Secretary Aaron Olver. “To meet and in most cases exceed the national performance standards – particularly in the challenging business climate of the past year - goes another giant step forward, and the 18 communities should be very proud of their collective efforts.”

Each year, the National Trust Main Street Center recognizes existing Main Street Communities that meet ten national standards of performance based on a number of specific criteria ranging from broad-based community support to ongoing training for staff and volunteers.

The National Trust Main Street Center was established in 1980 and leads a coast-to-coast network of more than 1,200 state, regional, and local programs, powerfully linked through a preservation-based strategy for rebuilding the places and enterprises that create sustainable, vibrant, and unique communities.

There are 36 current Main Street communities in the state of Wisconsin  and over the past two decades Main Street revitalization projects have contributed over $1 billion in new investments to the state’s economy.