September 10, 2016 | Malcolm Johnstone

West Chester PA — Patrice Frey, President and CEO of the National Main Street Center in Chicago, announced that West Chester BID is one of ten communities selected as Semi-Finalist for the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA).

“This was an extremely competitive year for GAMSA and it is truly an achievement for West Chester to have reached this stage,” said Ms. Frey.

The final top three GAMSA winners will be announced on May 1, 2017, at the National Main Street Conference in Pittsburgh.

The Great American Main Street Awards® competition is open to all Nationally Accredited Main Street America Programs. Applications are scored based on the criteria below.  

– Overall strength of the Main Street program and documented success in creating an exciting place to live, work, play and visit;
– Demonstrated impact aligning with the Main Street Approach;
– Commitment to historic preservation;
– Active involvement of the public and private sector;
– Model partnerships, including inclusive engagement of community members and local stakeholders in the downtown revitalization process.

The Great American Main Street Awards were founded in 1995. No Pennsylvania community has gone all the way to become a final winner since 1998.

See the top ten GAMSA finalist at PreservationNation.org.