Main Street Ottumwa Receives 2025 Main Street America Accreditation

Ottumwa, Iowa May 22, 2025 – Main Street Ottumwa has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America™ program for meeting rigorous performance standards. Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the list of Accredited programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™.

“Main Street America is proud to recognize this year’s 821 Accredited Main Street America programs for their commitment to building strong and vibrant communities,” said Erin Barnes, President and CEO of Main Street America. “Their tireless efforts show what’s possible when engaged leaders work together to shape places that reflect the people they serve. The continued impact of our network shows that the Main Street movement remains a powerful force for positive transformation.”

In 2024, Main Street America programs generated $7.65 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,324 net new businesses, facilitated the creation of 33,835 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,688 historic buildings, and leveraged 1.9 million volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, it generated $21.73 of new investment back into their downtown communities.

Main Street Ottumwa’s performance is annually evaluated by Main Street Iowa, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet rigorous national performance standards. To qualify for Accreditation status, communities must meet a set of rigorous standards that include commitments to building grassroots revitalization programs, fostering strong public-private partnerships, nurturing economic opportunity for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and actively preserving historic places, spaces, and cultural assets.

“We are so proud that in nearly 20 years, we have seen over $37 million in private investment, 283 building projects and over 51,000 hours of volunteer work.” said Kris Patrick, Executive Director. “Over the past year, we have continued to offer events, business building activities and connected property owners with resources - as well as continued initiatives to strengthen our entrepreneurial ecosystem through the Business Builder Academy.”

“Earning recognition as an Accredited Main Street America community is more than just a title—it highlights our collective commitment to creating a vibrant and resilient downtown,” said Patrick. “Throughout 2024, we witnessed the impact of this work through the growth of local businesses, renewed investment in our historic downtown, and the unwavering support of our community. This accreditation confirms that our community-driven efforts are making a meaningful difference for residents, businesses, and visitors.”

###

ABOUT MAIN STREET OTTUMWA

“The Main Street Ottumwa program fosters a vibrant, dynamic, and healthy downtown through community engagement and collaborative partnerships.” For more information, visit www.mainstreetottumwa.com

ABOUT MAIN STREET AMERICA

Main Street America leads a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. For more than 40 years, Main Street America has provided a practical, adaptable, and impactful framework for community-driven, comprehensive revitalization through the Main Street Approach™. Our network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Since 1980, communities participating in the program have generated more than $101.58 billion in new public and private investment, generated 168,693 net new businesses and 746,897 net new jobs, rehabilitated more than 325,119 buildings, and levered over 33.7 million volunteer hours. Main Street America is a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information, visit mainstreet.org.