MADISON - Monroe Main Street brought home two first-place awards and more from the Wisconsin Main Street 20th Anniversary Gala held at Monona Terrace last week.
The Wisconsin Main Street Program, established in 1987, is a comprehensive revitalization program designed to promote the historic and economic redevelopment of traditional business districts in Wisconsin.
For its new facade improvement grant program, Monroe shared first place with Green Bay in Best Design Committee Project. Green Bay won Thursday for its Broadway District Masterplan. Donna Glynn chairs the Monroe Main Street Design Committee.
Monroe Main Street Director Barb Nelson said the facade program took a year to put together and may now become the standard for the state.
"It is an excellent program," Nelson said. The award is proof of that, she said.
The program grants downtown business owners with half the costs, up to $10,000, for repairs and replacements of their store fronts, including preserving historic details.
"We have two applications already," Nelson said. "Won't that be exciting to see?"
Ryan and Claudia Wilson won first place in Best Interior Renovation Project for their restoration of Cafe Claudeen. The Wilsons took the restaurant back to its original 1920s look, at a cost of about $40,000.
Monroe also was recognized with an honorable mention in Best Private-Public Partnership in Downtown Revitalization for its Badger State Trail brochure. Monroe Main Street and the City of Monroe partnered in the printing for 10,000 copies of the brochure; 7,000 were used as inserts and at welcome centers' brochure racks in the tri-state area.
John Baumann took home the award for Monroe Main Street's 2007 Honorary Board of Directors, and Mary Schmidt won Monroe Main Street's 2007 Volunteer of the Year.
Monroe also was recognized as a nationally-accredited Main Street Program. To qualify, communities must meet a set of 10 criteria set up by the National Trust's Main Street Center.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation established the National Main Street Center in 1980 to assist nationwide downtown revitalization efforts. The trust advocates restoration of the historic character of downtown, while pursuing traditional development strategies such as marketing, business recruitment and retention, real estate development, market analysis and public improvements.
Nelson was thrilled with the awards, since the organization has existed only since July 2005.
"It's a process," Nelson said.
Nelson said Monroe is "doing pretty good" to have five of its nominations chosen for awards.
Each Main Street director may submit only 10 nominations for awards. There are 24 possible categories.
The Wisconsin Main Street Program, established in 1987, is a comprehensive revitalization program designed to promote the historic and economic redevelopment of traditional business districts in Wisconsin.
For its new facade improvement grant program, Monroe shared first place with Green Bay in Best Design Committee Project. Green Bay won Thursday for its Broadway District Masterplan. Donna Glynn chairs the Monroe Main Street Design Committee.
Monroe Main Street Director Barb Nelson said the facade program took a year to put together and may now become the standard for the state.
"It is an excellent program," Nelson said. The award is proof of that, she said.
The program grants downtown business owners with half the costs, up to $10,000, for repairs and replacements of their store fronts, including preserving historic details.
"We have two applications already," Nelson said. "Won't that be exciting to see?"
Ryan and Claudia Wilson won first place in Best Interior Renovation Project for their restoration of Cafe Claudeen. The Wilsons took the restaurant back to its original 1920s look, at a cost of about $40,000.
Monroe also was recognized with an honorable mention in Best Private-Public Partnership in Downtown Revitalization for its Badger State Trail brochure. Monroe Main Street and the City of Monroe partnered in the printing for 10,000 copies of the brochure; 7,000 were used as inserts and at welcome centers' brochure racks in the tri-state area.
John Baumann took home the award for Monroe Main Street's 2007 Honorary Board of Directors, and Mary Schmidt won Monroe Main Street's 2007 Volunteer of the Year.
Monroe also was recognized as a nationally-accredited Main Street Program. To qualify, communities must meet a set of 10 criteria set up by the National Trust's Main Street Center.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation established the National Main Street Center in 1980 to assist nationwide downtown revitalization efforts. The trust advocates restoration of the historic character of downtown, while pursuing traditional development strategies such as marketing, business recruitment and retention, real estate development, market analysis and public improvements.
Nelson was thrilled with the awards, since the organization has existed only since July 2005.
"It's a process," Nelson said.
Nelson said Monroe is "doing pretty good" to have five of its nominations chosen for awards.
Each Main Street director may submit only 10 nominations for awards. There are 24 possible categories.