MERIDIAN —     Meridian Main Street has made a habit of leaving the Mississippi Main Street Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon with multiple honors for its work.

    The 2012 edition held at the Old Capitol Inn in Jackson on June 21 was no different. The local nonprofit brought home two awards for its work over the past year including one for its Downtown Residential Development Initiative and special recognition for its Executive Director John McClure.

    Meridian Main Street received its first award in the category of Best Business Retention/Recruitment for its Downtown Residential Development Initiative. The residential program began in early 2011 as Meridian Main Street implored graduate students from Mississippi State University-Meridian to conduct a study on the possibility for more downtown living opportunities.  

    The students found a 97 percent occupancy rate with many potential downtown tenants being waitlisted. These results triggered Meridian Main Street to create a downtown residential workshop in May 2011 to encourage developers and property owners to take the chance and build living spaces in the heart of the city.  The workshop was well attended by the target market and a variety of downtown residential development projects are now underway. Downtown Meridian currently has 149 residential units; four new units should be open within weeks and more than 40 units in five different projects are currently being developed.

    Meridian Main Street Board President Kenny Watts accepted the award and said the residential invigoration is just the start of a major downtown revitalization.

    “MMS has worked closely with developers and getting more people to live downtown because we know if we can get the people, the restaurants and entertainment venues will keep coming,” Watts said. “This initiative is accomplishing what we set out to do, and I hope we can revisit it annually.”

    While the non-profit was honored for its programs, it was also heralded for its leadership. The Excellence in Main Street Award recognized a Mississippi Main Street manager for his or her efforts in making our nation’s downtowns lively again.  Meridian Main Street Executive Director John McClure was selected as this year’s honoree.

    John McClure has been involved with the state coordinating Main Street program since its origin in Mississippi in the mid-1980s. In 2010, McClure stepped in as executive director of the Main Street program in Meridian. Under McClure's direction, Meridian Main Street has been a visionary leader in the progress of downtown revitalization, including award-winning development projects. Meridian Main Street hosts many events, including the downtown art crawls (including one just for the kids), Earth’s Bounty downtown Farmers Market, downtown cleanups, and even a Mardi Gras party.

    Former Meridian Main Street intern Patrick Young said McClure’s award is a crowning achievement in a long career of public service.  

    “No one can deny the effect John McClure has had on downtown Meridian and the relationships he has forged with business owners and city leaders,” Young said. “His persistence to make the city better every day and friendly personality truly make him an asset for the organization. I have no doubt under his leadership that Meridian Main Street will continue to prosper and garner state-wide attention.”  

    Overall, Meridian Main Street has earned six awards over the past three years from the Mississippi Main Street Association including honors for its annual report and Nexus Hero program for online entrepreneurs. The organization’s consistent performance has made it known as one of the top Main Street organizations in the Southeast. The public/private partnership also had its membership recently reaccredited with the state and national Main Street associations.