Special to IFN
The Mooresville Downtown Commission (MDC) has once again earned the National Accredited Main Street America designation. This is the fourth successive year the MDC has been awarded with the most distinguished recognition a downtown commission can receive for upholding high standards in preservation-based economic development.
Main Street America, a leader in revitalizing historic downtowns, grants this distinction only to downtown programs that demonstrate a strong commitment to comprehensive community transformation, diversified funding, conscientious economic growth, and demonstrated impacts with verifiable results.
Erin Barnes, president and CEO of Main Street America, acknowledged MDC’s achievement, highlighting the impact of dedicated local leadership and collaboration in driving successful community development. The MDC’s accreditation is the result of thorough evaluations by its own team, board of directors, and the North Carolina Main Street Program, ensuring compliance with national standards.
The MDC has maintained its status since 2022 by consistently meeting rigorous requirements including strategic planning with dedicated implementation followed by measurable impacts.
Kim Saragoni, MDC Board chair, expressed pride in the organization’s ongoing success and thanked the board, committee members, and community partners for their contributions.
“Downtown Mooresville serves as a vital economic driver and community hub, benefitting significantly from guidance by both the NC Main Street program and Main Street America,” she said. “The MDC determinedly works to maintain sustainable program operations that help support and care for entrepreneurs’ passionate endeavors while being devoted to responsible, diversified growth within the municipal service district.”
For fiscal year 2024-2025, the MDC reported over $5 million in private investment and $640,000 in public investment within the downtown district, multiple façade improvements, seven new businesses launched, the creation of 18 full-time and two part-time jobs, and more than 3,300 volunteer hours contributed.
Additionally, the MDC was granted the honor of hosting the 2025 NC Main Street conference in March, bringing in over 800 conference attendees (the highest number to date) and generating over half a million dollar in economic impacts to the area. Organized by the NC Department of Commerce and its NC Main Street and Rural Planning Center, the event is the largest statewide downtown revitalization conference in the country.