For Immediate Release
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Contact: Sarah Revell
850.245.6522
Sarah.Revell@dos.myflorida.com
Winners Announced for the Secretary of State’s 2018 Florida Main Street Awards
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –
Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today the winners of the 2018 Florida Main Street Awards. This annual awards program showcases the innovative practices and projects that make each historic community successful. Two award categories were presented including the Honor Awards, which highlight the very “best of the best” Main Street communities, and the Merit Awards, which recognize outstanding examples of redevelopment and leadership.
“I am proud to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of the Main Street organizations, team members, local governments and associates that help make the Florida Main Street program so effective,” said Secretary Detzner. “Their dedication to Main Street programs across the state is essential to the historic preservation and economic revitalization of Florida’s downtowns.”
Twenty honor and merit awards were presented on Tuesday, August 1, 2018 at the Florida Main Street Annual Conference in Vero Beach. This year’s award recipients are:
Outstanding Florida Main Street Local Program Supporter
Honor Award: Julie Preast, Stuart Main Street, Inc.
Merit Award: Tina Murray, Eau Gallie Arts District Main Street, Inc., and Sandy Harbin, Main Street Bartow, Inc.
Outstanding Florida Main Street Fundraising Development Effort
Honor Award: Annual Leesburg Spring Fish Fry, Leesburg Partnership, Inc.
Outstanding Florida Main Street Public/Private Partnership
Honor Award: Downtown Business Association of Stuart, Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing and Stuart Main Street, Inc.
Merit Award: Beautifying Park Street, Okeechobee Main Street, Inc.
Outstanding Florida Main Street Rehabilitation Project
Honor Award: Ivy on the Square, Ocala Main Street, Inc.
Merit Award: Galleria of Pierce Harbor, Main Street Fort Pierce, Inc.
Outstanding Florida Main Street Public Improvement
Honor Award: Minutemen Causeway, Cocoa Beach Main Street, Inc.
Merit Award: Downtown Pedestrian Crossing, Ormond Main Street, Inc.
Outstanding Florida Main Street Sign/Display Project
Honor Award: Brooksville CRA Signage & Wayfinding Project, Brooksville Main Street, Inc.
Merit Award: Downtown Street Banner Project, Okeechobee Main Street, Inc.
Outstanding Florida Main Street New Construction Project
Honor Award: Post & Vine infill lot, Main Street Vero Beach, Inc.
Outstanding Florida Main Street Special Event
Honor Award: SYFY Bartow, Main Street Bartow, Inc.
Merit Award: Parade of Nations Horse Celebration, Ocala Main Street, Inc.
Outstanding Florida Main Street Image Campaign or Promotional Materials
Honor Award: Okeechobee Main Street Image Rebranding, Okeechobee Main Street, Inc.
Merit Award: Downtown Restaurant Guide, MainStreet DeLand Association, Inc.
Outstanding Florida Main Street Retail Sales Promotion
Honor Award: ABC Printing Raffle Promotion, Main Street Vero Beach, Inc.
Outstanding Florida Main Street Economic Vitality Project
Honor Award: “Investing in Our Future” Main Street Office Modernization, MainStreet DeLand Association, Inc.
Outstanding Florida Main Street Business of the Year
Honor Award: American Icon Brewery, developer Michael Rechter, Vero Beach
For more information on the Florida Main Street program visit floridamainstreet.com or facebook.com/FloridaMainStreet.
# # #
About Florida Main Street
Florida Main Street is a program administered by the Division of Historical Resources under the Florida Department of State, which currently oversees 49 communities throughout the state. By implementing the National Main Street Center’s Four-Point Approach®, Florida Main Street encourages economic development within the context of historic preservation through the revitalization of Florida’s downtowns – the community’s heart and soul.