KFDA Receives 2021 National Main Street accreditation

File photo (Image: Brian Gailey)

The following is a press release from the Klamath Falls Downtown Association.

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - The Klamath Falls Downtown Association (KFDA) has been designated as an accredited Main Street™ 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 proud to recognize this year’s 889 nationally accredited Main Street programs that have worked tirelessly to advance economic vitality and quality of life in their downtowns and commercial districts,” said Patrice Frey, President & CEO of Main Street America. “During an incredibly challenging year, these programs demonstrated the power of the Main Street movement to drive impressive local recovery efforts, champion small businesses, and foster vibrant downtown districts. I am inspired by their hard work and confident that these accredited communities will continue to help their downtowns flourish in the next stages of recovery.”

Klamath Falls City Manager Nathan Cherpeski noted KFDA’s leadership in the revitalization of Downtown Klamath Falls in his praise for the milestone. "The Klamath Falls Downtown Association is a great partner for the City of Klamath Falls. They are key to our successful downtown. This recognition is well deserved. Thanks to KFDA’s hard work and dedication, this achievement is only one of many the future will bring. Well done and congratulations!"

In 2020, Main Street America programs generated $4.14 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 4,356 net new businesses, generated 14,988 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 8,488 historic buildings, and clocked 983,702 volunteer hours.

Main Street organizations use the Main Street approach as a basic framework that supports locally customized revitalization through transformational strategies in four interconnected areas – Design, Organization, Promotion, and Economic Vitality.

KFDA President Nic Phair noted the importance of the Main Street Approach™ and how it helps local organizations succeed. “The framework that the Main Street Approach™ provides has been a useful guiding tool for ways to improve our downtown. The Oregon Main Street staff are amazing to work with and we consider them a key partner. We are very fortunate to have this symbiotic relationship with Oregon Main Street – along with other Main Street organizations using the same framework – that allows us to give and take from each other to make each of us stronger.”

KFDA’s performance is annually evaluated by Oregon Main Street, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet 10 national performance standards. Evaluation criteria determines the communities that are building meaningful and sustainable revitalization programs and include standards such as, fostering strong public-private partnerships, documenting programmatic progress, and actively preserving historic buildings.

“Our organization has been doing tremendous work on behalf of Downtown Klamath Falls for more than a decade. This national accreditation affirms the impact of the partnerships we’ve leveraged and recognizes the efforts of our board members, volunteers, and downtown stakeholders to build a solid organization that will continue to serve Klamath Falls for decades to come,” said Executive Director Darin Rutledge.