During a Special Council Presentation in May, Vice Mayor Stephen Shelley recognized Homestead Main Street, Inc. for their contributions to Downtown Homestead community life and their recent honor in which the State of Florida named the organization the Community Main Street of the Month of May. Communities are selected based on their developmental achievements and participation in the Florida Main Street Program.
Said Yvonne Knowles, Executive Director of Homestead Main Street, “For the last 20 years we have worked closely with the City of Homestead, its merchants and cultural groups to restore and promote our downtown area and it has paid dividends. Most recently, the National Parks Trolley has drawn a record number of tourists to our downtown Historic District which bodes very well for what’s over the horizon for every resident that calls Homestead ‘home’.”
Throughout the year, Homestead Main Street participates and organizes an array of events in the historic downtown for Homestead residents and visitors to enjoy. Among the events organized by Main Street is Krome Avenue Goes Cajun, which this year brought over 2,000 visitors to the downtown district in celebration of Mardi Gras. Additionally, Homestead Main Street administers car shows, dog contests, book fairs and more.
“Homestead is an energetic city,” said Vice Mayor Shelley, who is the City Council’s Liaison to Homestead Main Street. “We couldn’t ask for a better partner than Homestead Main Street to help us show it.”
The Main Street Program is a statewide program administered by the Division of Historical Resources under the Florida Department of State. It serves to encourage economic development within the context of historical preservation through the revitalization of a city’s heart and soul- its downtown center. The example set in Homestead, since it was designated a Florida Main Street Community in 1993, was what compelled the state to recognize the city. Ninety-four construction and rehabilitation projects totaling over $36 million, 121 business openings and almost 600 new jobs in that time.
