UNION CITY, TENN. – Main Street Union City has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America program for meeting rigorous performance standards. Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the list of designated programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™.
The 2025 network of designated Main Street members includes 821 programs that earned Accredited status — our top designation tier — for demonstrating a proven track record of achieving outcomes in alignment with the Main Street Approach and exceptional performance in the six standards of community evaluation. Additionally, 351 programs have received Affiliate status for showing a strong commitment to the Main Street model and creating meaningful improvements in their communities.
“Main Street America is proud to recognize this year’s 1,172 designated Main Street programs for their commitment to building strong and vibrant communities,” said Erin Barnes, President and CEO of Main Street America. “Their tireless efforts show what’s possible when engaged leaders work together to shape places that reflect the people they serve. The continued impact of our network shows that the Main Street movement remains a powerful force for positive transformation.”
Main Street America recognizes two tiers of national designation — Affiliate and Accredited. These designations are a powerful advocacy tool, signaling to local stakeholders, as well as city, state, and national funders, that a Main Street program has an established position within a nationwide movement with a 45-year proven track record of generating impressive economic returns, building local capacity, creating welcoming and inviting communities, and creating lasting impact.
To qualify for designation communities must demonstrate a strong commitment to the Main Street model, meet a set of baseline requirements, and achieve outcomes in six areas: broad-based community commitment to revitalization; inclusive leadership and organizational capacity; diversified funding and sustainable program operations; strategy-driven programming; preservation-based economic development; and demonstrated impact and results. Learn more about the framework, standards, and designation here.
Main Street Union City’s performance was evaluated through assessments conducted by the organization’s personnel and board of directors, and Tennessee Main Street, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify local programs that meet rigorous national community evaluation standards. These standards provide the Main Street America network with a strong foundational framework to review progress, recognize strengths, understand trends, and identify strategies that move Main Street programs forward.
In 2024, the Main Street America programs generated $7.65 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,324 new businesses, facilitated the creation of 33,835 new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,126 historic buildings, and logged 1.9 million volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support their operations, $21.73 was reinvested into their downtown and commercial corridor communities.
As for Main Street Union City, the organization received several grants in 2024 including one from the Tennessee Arts Commission for the Tacos & Tamales event, as well as the Downtown Improvement Grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic Development. Downtown also welcomed five new businesses to downtown in 2024 and had 10 events for the community in downtown, including Tacos & Tamales, Downtown Trick or Treat, late-night shopping during the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and the Christmas Parade.
“Having an accredited Main Street America program is vital to opening up doors to grants and other opportunities for our community to benefit,” said Katie Graves, executive director for Main Street Union City. “Since we are an accredited program, we were able to apply for several grants, including the big Downtown Improvement Grant of $300,000 to help update our exterior facades. That was a huge accomplishment for Main Street Union City as those funds are helping preserve and transform our downtown to be a successful, thriving place to eat, shop, play and live.”
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Photo: Main Street UC Executive Director Katie Graves.