BATON ROUGE, La. – Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and Louisiana Main Street are proud to announce the 22 Louisiana communities designated as Accredited Main Street America programs for 2025. These Main Street organizations have met rigorous performance standards set by the National Main Street Center and are recognized for their exemplary commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach.
Louisiana’s nationally accredited Main Street America programs for 2025 are:
- Abbeville Main Street; Acadia Parish
- Crowley Main Street; Acadia Parish
- Denham Springs Main Street; Livingston Parish
- Donaldsonville Downtown Development District; Ascension Parish
- Franklin Main Street; St. Mary Parish
- Hammond Downtown Development District; Tangipahoa Parish
- Main Street Homer; Claiborne Parish
- Leesville Main Street; Vernon Parish
- Lower Ninth Ward Main Street, New Orleans; Orleans Parish
- Monroe Main Street; Ouachita Parish
- Morgan City Main Street; St. Mary Parish
- Natchitoches Main Street; Natchitoches Parish
- New Iberia Main Street; Iberia Parish
- New Roads Main Street; Pointe Coupee Parish
- Old Algiers Main Street, New Orleans; Orleans Parish
- Opelousas Main Street; St. Landry Parish
- Ruston Main Street; Lincoln Parish
- Springhill Main Street; Webster Parish
- St. Francisville Main Street; West Feliciana Parish
- Thibodaux Main Street; Lafourche Parish
- West Monroe Main Street; Ouachita Parish
- Winnsboro Main Street; Franklin Parish
“Historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts are the heart and soul of communities across Louisiana. They give the community its sense of place and character and provide the uniqueness that sets one community apart from another,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “In addition, historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts are great locations for small businesses and entrepreneurs. It’s an honor to be able to recognize these 22 Louisiana communities who have worked diligently to revitalize their social cohesion and economic sustainability.”
The Louisiana Main Street program has documented impact, reaching a historic investment milestone of $1 billion in public and private investment in 2022. Of that investment, $520 million was private investments with the remaining $527 million in public investments. Other key statistics during that time include:
- Creation of 17,859 net new jobs
- 3,919 net new businesses
- More than $461 million in new construction or rehabilitation of buildings
- More than 1.3 million volunteer hours
“Main Street America is proud to recognize this year’s Accredited Main Street America programs for their commitment to building strong and vibrant communities,” said Erin Barnes, President and CEO of Main Street America. “Their tireless efforts show what’s possible when engaged leaders work together to shape places that reflect the people they serve. The continued impact of our network shows that the Main Street movement remains a powerful force for positive transformation.”
In 2024, Main Street America programs generated $7.65 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,324 new businesses, facilitated the creation of 33,835 new jobs, rehabilitated 10,126 historic buildings, and logged 1.9 million volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, $21.73 was reinvested into their downtown and commercial corridor communities.
Louisiana Main Street annually evaluates each local organization’s performance, working in partnership with the National Main Street Center, to identify local programs that meet rigorous national community evaluation standards.
These standards provide the Main Street America network with a strong foundational framework to review progress, recognize strengths, understand trends, and identify strategies that move Main Street programs forward. To quality for Accredited status—Main Street America’s top designation tier—communities must demonstrate a proven track record of achieving outcomes in alignment with the Main Street Approach and exceptional performance in six areas: broad-based community commitment to revitalization; inclusive leadership and organizational capacity; diversified funding and sustainable program operations; strategy-driven programming; preservation-based economic development; and demonstrated impact and results.