DDA among top Main Street programs

The Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority is celebrating their national accreditation after receiving their official certification Tuesday.
The National Main Street Program accreditation process is a partnership between coordinating Main Street programs and the National Trust Main Street Center, to establish standards of performance for local Main Street programs and provide accreditation’to those that meet’the high standards.
‘It means that we’re completely prepared to be an effective DDA,? said Director Lois Golden. ‘All our ducks are in a row.?
Golden noted that less than one-third of all DDAs across the country meet the criteria.
The National’Accreditation designation process evaluates established commercial district revitalization programs according to 10 basic performance standards. These standards provide benchmarks and guidelines on the way an organization should be functioning and serve as incentives for improvement.
Incorporated into the 10 performance standards are things like community support, vision and mission statements and historical preservation ethic.
The official announcement will be made at the DDA’s next board meeting, slated for April 8. Look for more on this story in an upcoming edition of The Review.