Submitted by Downtown Camas Association
Main Street America has announced Downtown Camas Association as a 2024 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) Semifinalist. This prestigious award is the nation’s top award recognizing communities for their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization. A jury of professionals and leaders in the fields of community and economic development and historic preservation convened to review a nationwide pool of applicants. After thoughtful deliberation, the jury unanimously selected eight semifinalists that demonstrate exemplary use of the Main Street Approach™ to lead community-based transformation strategies in their downtowns.
The 2024 GAMSA Semifinalists are:
Downtown Camas Association – Camas, Washington
Denison Main Street – Denison, Texas
Downtown Lansing, Inc. – Lansing, Michigan
NewTown Macon – Macon, Georgia
Madison Main Street Program – Madison, Indiana
Monroeville Main Street – Monroeville, Alabama
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group – Mount Vernon, Iowa
Swiss Bear, Inc. – New Bern, North Carolina
“The Great American Main Street Award is the highest honor that we grant to organizations within our network,” said Matt Wagner, Chief Program Officer at Main Street America. “We are elated to recognize the Downtown Camas Association and seven peer organizations as 2024 GAMSA Semifinalists for their incredible accomplishments in transforming their downtowns through innovative programs strategically designed to preserve their unique heritage, foster economic vitality, and create a welcoming atmosphere.”
From neighborhood commercial corridors within larger cities to small towns with traditional downtowns, the 2024 GAMSA Semifinalists represent the diversity of the Main Street America network and the power of the Main Street Approach™. Semifinalists have generated over $1.48 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 881 net new businesses, facilitated the creation of 3,827 net new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 2,164 historic buildings, and leveraged 306,986 volunteer hours.
“On behalf of the Downtown Camas Association’s Board of Directors and staff, we are thrilled and grateful that the Downtown Camas Association, it’s volunteers, our amazing downtown businesses, city partners, and liaisons have been acknowledged nationally for our revitalization work,” says Sarah Laughlin, Board President of the Downtown Camas Association. “We are honored and humbled to be considered for this very selective and prestigious Great American Main Street Award. We look forward to sharing more about Camas and our Columbia River region and learning about other incredible Main Street towns around the country.”
The 2024 Great American Main Street Award winners will be announced at the opening plenary of the 2024 Main Street Now Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 6, 2024.
