The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. recognized the best downtown revitalization projects of 2015 at the 25th Wisconsin Main Street Awards Ceremony in Marshfield April 11. 

The Platteville Main Street Program received Honorable Mention in the competitive category of Best Creative Fundraising Effort for the 2015 Walk Down Main event. Julie Loeffelholz, owner of Julie’s Da Vine Wine & Stein in Platteville, was recognized as the 2015 Volunteer of the Year. Mary Huck, a long-time member of the Main Street Program’s Executive Board, was recognized as the 2015 Honorary Board Member.

Wisconsin Main Street is a community development program administered by WEDC that targets Wisconsin’s historic commercial districts. WEDC provides technical support and training to Wisconsin communities to revitalize their business districts based on historic preservation developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Wisconsin has 34 Main Street communities. Since 1987, the Wisconsin Main Street Program has worked with more than 60 communities and has been responsible for the creation of an estimated 12,000 jobs and 2,300 new businesses.

During fiscal year 2015, the Wisconsin Main Street Program was responsible for the creation of an estimated 586 jobs and 115 new businesses in the state. The program generated $6.3 million in public investment, which was leveraged to draw $91 million in private investment. The program also renovated or reconstructed 350 buildings and held 526 events to get people to these revitalized districts, with a total attendance of more than 1.2 million people.