Shaw is now the third community in Washington, D.C. to win the Great American Main Street Award, reported Borderstan. Alongside H Street and Barracks Row, Shaw Main Streets has been recognized for revitalizing the commercial corridors along 7th and 9th streets NW. There are over 50 American communities around the United States that have won the award since 1995. By winning, these communities serve as examples for comprehensive, preservation-based commercial district revitalization, according to the Main Street America website.
In a statement, National Main Street Center president and CEO Patrice Frey said, "Shaw’s transformation in the last 13 years has been truly remarkable. To bring the neighborhood back from the devastating 1968 riots and the decades of disinvestment that followed while infusing the district’s historic character with new energy and resources, is a tremendous testament to Shaw Main Street’s effective leadership."
A recent press release wrote this about the neighborhood:
By actively involving its multicultural community, cultivating tech businesses, and supporting the arts, since its founding in 2003 Shaw Main Streets has reduced the retail vacancy rate from 20 percent to 1 percent, helped over 200 new businesses open, and attracted approximately $3 billion in private and public investment. Under Shaw Main Streets’ leadership, Shaw has earned nationwide attention as a fast-rising arts, cultural and dining destination while maintaining affordability and ties to its proud past as an African-American entertainment district.
Shaw Main Streets plans on celebrating the win at a gala fundraiser, known as A Taste of Shaw, at the Howard Theatre on June 1. Organizations in Orlando, Florida and Dahlonega, Georgia were also awarded recently at a conference in Milwaukee, according to Borderstan.
• Shaw Snags ‘Great American Main Street’ Honor [Borderstan]