Last month, Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee announced that Plant City Main Street was designated the November 2021 Florida Main Street Program of the Month.
“Plant City Main Street’s revitalization efforts are inspiring,” said Lee. “By supporting their local businesses through community partnerships, special events, education and promotion opportunities, Plant City Main Street is helping to create a vibrant downtown district for residents and visitors to enjoy.”
Plant City Main Street was designated in 1985 as one of five pilot communities of the Florida Main Street program. Since its reorganization in 2018, Plant City Main Street has been effective in bringing people, businesses and jobs back to the downtown area.
Plant City Main Street has seen a recent resurgence of business openings within its district. Referred to locally as the ‘Evers Street Wave,’ the business recruitment efforts were spearheaded by Plant City Main Street with support from community partners. In May 2021, these revitalization efforts and new businesses were highlighted to the community with the Evers Street Block Party. The block party featured live music, and food and drinks were offered at the participating businesses.
Plant City Main Street used its ‘Topics on Tap’ events to recruit and educate existing and potential business owners about opportunities in downtown, including grant programs available through the City of Plant City. Matt Morrow, owner of The Tipsy Bookworm, summed up the impact of these efforts: “After I attended ‘Topics on Tap’ and Plant City Main Street walked me through the city grants, it became clear that The Tipsy Bookworm belongs in downtown Plant City.”
Plant City Main Street also hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including Yoga in the Park and Last Friday in downtown-themed food truck rallies, which average 1,000 attendees per rally.
Florida Main Street is a program administered by the Division of Historical Resources under the Florida Department of State, which currently oversees 54 communities throughout the state. By implementing the National Main Street Center’s Four-Point Approach, Florida Main Street encourages economic development within the context of historic preservation through the revitalization of Florida’s downtowns—the community’s heart and soul.
Since its reorganization, Plant City Main Street has reported approximately $1,044,782 in public and private reinvestments and welcomed 22 net new businesses and 91 net new full-time and part-time jobs to the district. The organization has also reported 3,825 volunteer hours.
For more information on Plant City Main Street, visit plantcitymainstreet.org or facebook.com/PCMainStreet. For more information on the Florida Main Street program, visit floridamainstreet.com or facebook.com/FloridaMainStreet.
