Hammond Downtown Development District Named Semi-Finalist for 2022 Great American Main Street Award

BATON ROUGE, La. – Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, the Office of Cultural Development, and Louisiana Main Street are proud to announce the Hammond Downtown Development District is a semifinalist for the 2022 Great American Main Street Award. Main Street America selected eight semifinalists based on their innovative use of the Main Street Approach. The Great American Main Street Award is the highest honor in the field of commercial district management. Main Street America will announce the winners on May 16 at the Main Street Now Conference in Richmond, VA.

The entire list of semifinalists include:

• Hammond Downtown Development District (Hammond, LA)
• Heart of Biddleford (Biddleford, ME)
• River District Association (Danville, VA)
• Denison Main Street (Denison, TX)
• Florence Downtown Development Corporation (Florence, SC)
• Laramie Main Street Alliance (Laramie, WY)
• Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group (Mount Vernon, IA)
• Main Street Toccoa (Toccoa, GA)

“Historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts are the heart and soul of communities across Louisiana, and that is evident in the city of Hammond. The transformation of downtown Hammond has created a sense of place and character and provides a uniqueness that sets it apart from other communities,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “In my eyes, they are already winners and a great representation of all our Louisiana’s Main Street districts who work diligently to revitalize their social cohesion and economic sustainability.”

Selection criteria for the Great American Main Street Award include strength in spurring community transformation, commitment to historic preservation, innovative programming, implementation of partnerships, community outreach and stakeholder engagement, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“These semifinalists are shining examples of the kind of transformation that is possible when using the Main Street Approach. These programs have brought renewed vibrancy to their communities and sparked impressive preservation-based revitalization,” said Patrice Frey, President and CEO of Main Street America.

Hammond Downtown Development District

Nestled along the historic Illinois Central Railroad line, the “historically hip” Downtown Hammond boasts people-centered places for all ages and backgrounds. This college town located 45 miles from New Orleans features a lively entertainment and dining scene with 39 bars and restaurants in the 74-block district. The Hammond Downtown Development District (DDD) has seen an impressive transformation since the DDD got its start in 1984, with 115 building rehabs. After extensive community engagement, the DDD is working to transform once vacant and underused land into eye-catching public spaces. The new Railroad Park will be turned into a public park, and the Old Feed & Seed property now hosts a community garden and farmer’s market. Hammond DDD launched a range of initiatives to support small business during the pandemic and partnered with Urban Market Experience to bring more Black-owned businesses to Main Street.

This is the second time the Hammond Downtown Development District has been named a semifinalist for the Great American Main Street Award. The first was in 2019.

Since 1995, the National Main Street Center has honored exceptional Main Street communities with the Great American Main Street Award. In that time, over 100 communities have been awarded this great honor. Previous Louisiana winners include Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Main Street, New Orleans, in 2017; Natchitoches Main Street in 2006; and, New Iberia Main Street in 2005.

For more information on Louisiana Main Street communities, please visit the Louisiana Main Street Network webpage. For more information on the 2022 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA), please visit the GAMSA Semifinalist webpage.