News release by the River District Association
The River District Association (RDA) announced earlier this week that Danville is one of eight communities selected as a semi-finalist for the Great American Main Street Award.
The award, given out by the National Main Street Center, recognizes communities for excellence in preservation-based commercial district revitalization.
RDA Executive Director Diana Schwartz says, “We are very grateful for the team at the National Main Street center for recognizing the hard work that has been done in the River District for the past decade.”
Semi-finalists are selected from a nationwide pool of applicants by a jury of Main Street professionals and leaders in the fields of community and economic development and historic preservation.
Criteria for winning include strength of the Main Street program in spurring community transformation; commitment to historic preservation; innovative programming; implementation of cross-sector partnerships; community outreach and stakeholder engagement; and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“This is a very prestigious honor that I hope will help our long-term residents recognize that Danville is nationally recognized as a model for revitalization,” says Schwartz. “We look forward to the continued success of our downtown that will illuminate a bright path to move forward and share the improvements and opportunities to all areas of our city and our region.”
The RDA, formerly Downtown Danville Association, was formed in 1999 to coordinate efforts to revitalize the downtown Danville, Virginia community, now called the River District. Since 2016, the RDA and the City of Danville have enjoyed accredited status under the National and Virginia Main Street Programs. The program and accreditation are recognized na6onally as one of the most successful formulas for downtown revitalization.
The 2022 Great American Main Street Award winners will be announced on May 16 at the National Main Street Center’s Main Street Now Conference, in Richmond.
