News
Tri-Cities Main Street Program Designated as a 2025 Accredited Program by Main Street America
Cumberland, Kentucky – May 19, 2025 – The Tri-Cities Main Street Program has been recognized as a 2025 Accredited Main Street America™ program, the highest level of recognition offered by Main Street America. This designation affirms the program’s commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization, guided by the comprehensive and proven Main Street Approach™.
The Tri-Cities Main Street Program serves the communities of Cumberland, Benham, and Lynch. Its performance was evaluated through a rigorous review conducted by Tri-Cities Heritage Development Corporation in collaboration with Main Street America. This assessment focused on six key areas, including broad-based community commitment, inclusive leadership and organizational capacity, diversified funding and sustainable operations, strategy-driven programming, preservation-based economic development and demonstrated impact and results.
“This accreditation is a major step forward for our community,” said Erica Eldridge, Director of Tri-Cities Main Street. “It reflects the hard work of so many people who love this place and believe in its future. We’re excited to continue building on this momentum.”
Eldridge gave special recognition to former Director Bobbie Gothard, whose dedication and vision helped lay the groundwork for this achievement. Gothard, who passed away in February 2024, was a tireless advocate for the Tri-Cities and a leading force in its downtown revitalization efforts.
ABOUT MAIN STREET AMERICA
Main Street America leads a national movement dedicated to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. Since its founding in 1980, the Main Street movement has resulted in over $115.42 billion in local reinvestment, the creation of 181,647 net new businesses, 815,895 net new jobs, the rehabilitation of 345,801 buildings, and 37.3 million volunteer hours.
Main Street America recognizes two tiers of designation: Affiliate and Accredited. These recognitions are powerful tools for local advocacy and funding and signify a community’s alignment with a 45-year track record of impactful revitalization work.
In 2024 alone, Main Street America programs generated $7.65 billion in reinvestment, helped open 6,324 new businesses, created 33,835 new jobs, rehabilitated 10,126 historic buildings, and recorded 1.9 million volunteer hours. On average, every dollar invested in local Main Street programs yielded $21.73 in reinvestment.
Tri-Cities Main Street is a non-profit organization that serves the areas of Cumberland, Benham, and Lynch.
Tri-Cities Main Street promotes small businesses and restaurants in the area. We help coordinate events and work to make the Tri-Cities better tomorrow than it was today.
Tri-Cities KY are part of the Main Street America program.
Main Street America has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for more than 40 years. Today it is a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.
Main Street America is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
