Welcoming the 2016 Texas Main Street Communities
It was my pleasure to continue the grand tradition of the Texas Historical Commission Texas Main Street Program’s First Lady’s Tour this year. I was in Sherman on Wednesday and Corpus Christi and Brownsville today for the annual event celebrating Texas Main Street communities and welcoming the three Texas communities as the program’s newest members.
During all three visits, I was joined by state and local officials, local business owners and volunteers, and dozens of local residents eager to see the Main Street vision for their respective towns.
The Texas Main Street Program is an economic development, revitalization, and preservation program for historic downtowns administered by the Texas Historical Commission’s Community Heritage Development Division. The Program works with local officials on revitalization plans that maintain a community’s authenticity while promoting job creation and economic development. Today, there are 87 official Texas Main Street programs. The programs are in communities of all sizes, ranging from less than 2,000 to more than 240,000 in population, and in all areas of Texas.
It is clear that these communities know the importance of a historic, yet vibrant, downtown. All across Texas – from our busy urban centers to our treasured small towns – it is in our downtowns where the past, present and future meet, and a sense of community grows. I congratulate Sherman, Corpus Christi and Brownsville on their work to make their communities shine even brighter through historic preservation and economic development.