After a highly successful 2018, Winchester’s Main Street program is once again a nationally accredited program, which opens the community up to grant opportunities and help from the Kentucky Main Street program.

Main Street Winchester Executive Director Rachel Alexander said the accreditation was renewed in February from the Kentucky Main Street program. Winchester was also one of 25 Kentucky communities to be accredited by the National Main Street Center as well, according to the Kentucky Heritage Council.

Alexander said Winchester’s program has been accredited since 2016.

The documentation submitted covers 10 areas including commitment of the local board, re-investment statistics, showing there is a historical preservation ethic and others, she said. To be accredited, programs must score at least seven points in each category.

This year, Winchester scored its best cumulative score with a 92, she said.

Along with that accreditation, comes news that Winchester’s Main Street program reported more than $7.3 million of new investments and 60 new jobs during 2018, according to a release from the Kentucky Heritage Council.

The work of Main Street Winchester is vital to our downtown district, and those positive impacts trickle out to the community as a whole.

According to a recent report from MSW, 2018 was a banner year for the program.

The Beer Cheese Festival celebrated its 10th event. More than a dozen events filled all or part of downtown Winchester.

Some of the program’s volunteers won state awards for their work. Winchester was in the running to be featured on a national television show.

New partnerships were made and new investments were banked.

Since 2015, private investment in downtown Winchester has grown from $600,000 to $6 million in 2018, according to Main Street Winchester’s annual report.

In 2017, the Downtown Master Plan was unveiled, setting 10 goals and a plan for future development of downtown Winchester.

The plan identified 10 recommendations:

— improve code enforcement and public efforts

— new outdoor dining and use regulations

— establish a facade grant program

— redevelop the Sphar building to include a tourist presence

— create a downtown investment fund

— establish a downtown TIF district

— initiate a downtown “high side” linear park design

— encourage additional market-rate housing in downtown

— unify downtown streetscape design elements

— enhance marketing of downtown.

And there has been progress on each of those items. 

The City of Winchester has taken several steps to encourage such investments and projects by creating a tax-increment funding district for downtown, which allows tax money generated within the district to be used to help inside those boundaries.

A downtown investment program is being created. Ideally, there would be grants or loans available to property owners in downtown to assist with needed repairs or upgrades to properties. The proceeds would then be re-invested for future projects.

Those accomplishments are only the latest in a 40-year effort to revitalize Winchester’s downtown.

In recent years, the Main Street Winchester program has gained a lot of momentum, and is building on a very successful 2018 for more growth this year.

This accreditation is a testament to the hard work for the MSW staff and dedicated volunteers. It will continue to open opportunities for growth, expansion and revitalization in what is essentially the heart of our community.

We look forward to see how those opportunities play out and what 2019 has in store for downtown Winchester.