Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on March 8.
Downtown Florence was selected by a national group of Main Street professionals as one of eight semifinalists for the 2022 Great American Main Street Award, according to city officials.
The eight finalists have brought in more than half-a-billion dollars of investments, created more than 3,000 jobs and opened nearly 850 new businesses since their programs began, city officials said in a press release.
Florence is the first accredited Main Street community in South Carolina to be designated as a semifinalist for the award, according to Jenny Boulware, South Carolina’s Main Street coordinator.
“As the first Accredited Main Street community in South Carolina to achieve Great American Main Street Award semi-finalist designation, Florence’s remarkable 10-year downtown transformation is now celebrated on a national platform,” Boulware said in a press release. “With one of the most cooperative leadership teams in the state, this recognition reinforces Florence’s intentional and thoughtful downtown development accomplishments.”
Criteria for winning the award 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, the city’s news release said.
Winners will be announced on May 16 at the Main Street Now conference in Richmond, Va.
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