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CommunityMain Street Amherst is a non-profit organization designed to promote and maintain a historic and economically vital downtown that is attractive and accessible to people of all ages.In 1998, a small group of Amherst citizens and business owners founded a group called The Amherst Downtown Business Association. The purpose of this group was two-fold: the City of Amherst wanted to apply for a Community Development Block Grant and needed a strong business group in place to obtain the grant. And at the same time, there were eleven empty storefronts in downtown Amherst. There was a growing concern that the downtown shopping area would be lost forever to strip malls and shopping malls if some action was not taken to restore economic security to the area.The City of Amherst was awarded the Community Development Block Grant and The Amherst Downtown Business Association evolved into The Amherst Downtown and Betterment Association, thus encompassing the entire community. Storefronts filled to capacity and business owners used the grant to restore facades and implement code improvements. The City used the grant funds to build a new parking lot and install historic streetlights and street signs in the downtown historic preservation district. A strong bond formed between the city government and the Amherst Downtown and Betterment Association. In December 2002, the Amherst Downtown and Betterment Association was granted official Main Street status by Downtown Ohio Inc. The name Main Street Amherst came into place after the official state-wide Main Street Designation. In October 2003, the old post office building was officially renamed and dedicated the Main Street Community Center.Who Benefits from Main Street Amherst?The entire community benefits in many ways. The benefits are felt in many different ways and in different areas of the community. Here are a few examples:
Membership
Main Street Amherst offers benefits to help energize your business through cooperative advertising, free workshops and classes, and the comfort of knowing that there is a local organization available to address problems and to see that the needs of our business people are met. Members receive all the benefits of a vibrant, busy downtown, with increased property values, full occupancy of buildings, access to grants and special funds for building improvements, and a brighter future for the community.
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