Press release from Lt. Governor Becky Skillman’s office:
Lt. Governor Becky Skillman Welcomes the Wells Corridor Association to Indiana Main Street
(Indianapolis – October 15, 2010) – Lt. Governor Becky Skillman announced the Wells Corridor Association in Fort Wayne is joining to the Indiana Main Street program at a Statehouse ceremony last Friday. IMS encourages the revitalization and restoration of downtown areas in Indiana cities and towns. The program is administered by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA).
“Viable downtowns are crucial to the economic health of our state,” said Lt. Governor Skillman. “I’m pleased to welcome the Wells Corridor Association to Indiana Main Street. The program is creating opportunities for revitalization and restoration, as well as encouraging a favorable environment for businesses.”
The Wells Corridor Association in Fort Wayne will join over 100 other Indiana Main Street Communities dedicated to the revitalization of their downtown areas. The IMS is founded on a Four Point Approach to downtown development: organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring. Each of these points represents an aspect of the downtown which is vital in the restoration efforts of the community.
The Wells Corridor Association is actively working to re-establish Wells Street in a pattern that is consistent with the history of this area, which is Fort Wayne’s second oldest business district. In 2009, the group worked closely with the City of Fort Wayne to develop corridor zoning, assisted in writing commercial code enforcement, hosted a charette for street improvements, and seven of their businesses have applied for and improved their facades through the city’s façade program.
Indiana Main Street Program Manager Shae Kmicikewycz stated, “We are honored to have the Wells Corridor Association as part of the Indiana Main Street family. They know and understand the importance of a thriving downtown and have community members willing to assist in the revitalization efforts of their downtown.”
For more information about Indiana Main Street, please visit www.ocra.in.gov/mainstreet.htm.
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