By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

Berlin has once again been designated as an accredited Main Street America program for 2025 due to the town’s commitment to strengthening community enhancement efforts, the municipality announced last week.

The Town of Berlin Main Street and Arts and Entertainment District recently announced the distinction via a Facebook post. By being designated as an accredited Main Street American program, Berlin has a proven track record of planning and implementing initiatives aligned with the Main Street Approach.

According to Main Street America’s website, the Main Street Approach prioritizes economic vitality, design, promotion, and organization to strengthen a commercial district and its economy.

The economic vitality piece of the method includes fostering financial tools to assist new and existing businesses. The design portion aims to enhance the physical aspects of a commercial district, promotion looks to showcase a downtown’s unique characteristics, and organization can be reached by creating partnerships and community engagement.

Main Street America’s partnerships with corporations and government entities that support local economies give Main Street leaders access to grants, educational services, and resource opportunities.

The accredited designation is the highest distinction offered by Main Street America, ahead of their affiliate status, where towns, while not required to have yet reached significant economic, physical, social, and organizational changes, are moving toward improvement in these areas. Berlin has again been given the accredited, or the top-tier, recognition.

This status means that the Town of Berlin has reached baseline requirements. These include “a board of directors formed by a representative base of the district stakeholders and community members, dedicated to leading the district’s Main Street program,…dedicated a budget for the district’s revitalization programming and the Main Street program’s operations, and demonstrated support from the municipality for the Main Street program, which can include leadership participation, funding, in-kind donations, and philosophical support,” among other demands.

Main Street America’s website shows 1,171 programs achieved designations this year. The online page also includes impact statistics, which reveal that in 2024, Main Street America groups across the United States reinvested $7.65 billion locally, saw a net gain in jobs of 33,835, saw a net gain in businesses of 6,324, and saw 10,126 buildings be rehabilitated.

Berlin has taken advantage of its involvement with Main Street America. Earlier this year, the town was selected as a semifinalist for the 2025 Great American Main Street Award, an honor reserved for municipalities demonstrating innovative community transformation, engagement, and the creation of arts and culture scenes.

While Berlin was not chosen as a winner, it was deemed a finalist because of its thriving spirit and support of underrepresented business owners.

“Berlin Main Street’s accomplishments include increasing business opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses, championing preservation and adaptive reuse projects, and nurturing a volunteer base and board of directors that reflects the community’s diversity — from age and heritage to perspectives and interests,” the Main Street America’s February press release announcing the semifinalists said.

Berlin qualified for the award by celebrating Black-owned businesses year-round, hosting a flag-raising event to observe LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June, and paving the path for youth engagement as volunteers and committee liaisons.

The Town of Berlin continues to strengthen its community spirit, which is evident by its continued involvement as an accredited program with Main Street America for 2025.