Press Release
National Trust Opens National Main Streets Conference in New Orleans
2006 Conference Explores the Preservation of Place through Heritage Resources
Washington, D.C. (June 5, 2006) – Capping off a series of initiatives for Gulf Coast recovery, the National Trust for Historic Preservation opened its National Main Streets Conference today. The four-day conference will explore issues in revitalizing commercial districts – America’s “Main Streets” – with a special focus on the ways heritage resources are valuable tools for activating economic development and attracting new residents, businesses, and investment to downtowns.
This year’s emphasis on the value of leveraging heritage resources is especially poignant for the economic recovery of New Orleans. America’s irreplaceable cultural and heritage resources play a critical role in protecting a community’s history and creating new economic and tourism opportunities.
"Whether in the face of great disaster or decades-long decay, saving and celebrating our unique communities helps to rebuild and strengthen the economies of many historic communities," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "These unique assets, which celebrate local lives and create an authentic sense of place, provide a strong foundation on which to build healthy, vibrant cities and towns."
The annual National Main Streets Conference is the premiere conference for preservation-based commercial district revitalization. This year, it is expected to attract more than 1,000 Main Street and other community revitalization professionals from throughout the nation seeking unique training and sharing expertise. Main Street programs are locally-based nonprofit organizations tied to the National Trust’s nationally-recognized Main Street Center, which successfully combines historic preservation and economic development to revitalize downtowns. The Main Street Program has been proven to be one of the most powerful economic development programs in the country.
The conference adds to the New Orleans initiatives organized by the National Trust, which include the HomeAgain! program for historic homeowner rehabilitation, as well as the Rebirth: People, Places and Culture in New Orleans conference, held May 30 to June 1, 2006, that examined the role New Orleans' cultural legacy will play in the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina. The Trust is also providing assistance to the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans to provide technical assistance and funding on home rehabilitation.
The National Main Streets Conference will continue through June 7, and is hosted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in partnership with Louisiana Main Street, Louisiana Division of the Arts, and the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism.
For more information about the Main Street program and its innumerable successes over the years, visit www.mainstreet.org.