Oregonians can take a collective breath of pride as the Oregon Heritage, under the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, dropped its 2024 numbers on the revitalized veins that pump economic lifeblood through the state's historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. The Oregon Main Street 2024 Annual Report, now available for public consumption, showcases the transformative efforts and returns of the communities involved in the Main Street Track of the Oregon Main Street Network last year.
Ringing in significant strides, the report touts over $24 million in private sector investment and the ushering in of 168 net new businesses. Eclipsed by these economic triumphs, 1,652 net new jobs were created, alongside over 293 building rehab projects. Nestled within its pages, the report honors the nearly 34,000 volunteer hours that were dedicated to enriching Oregon's communal habitats. In terms of longitudinal gains, the cumulative impact since 2010, duly recorded within the report, illustrates a history of tenacious community-led growth and improvement.
Lending a narrative to the numbers, community spotlights shine on the granular details of transformation along Main Street. One such example, draped in accolades in the report, is the HRVI building restoration project in Chiloquin, a success story nearing its final chapter with the helping hand of a $200,000 Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant received back in 2022. Projects like these exemplify the heart of the OMS ethos: to fuel economic development and preserve the historic character of Oregon's communal nuclei.
The network of change stretches wide, with over 100 Oregon communities actively participating across various levels of the Oregon Main Street Network designations. This includes the Accredited Main Street, Designated Main Street, and Affiliated Main Street, along with Connected Communities and Rural Regional Main Street hubs. Participation in this network, highlighting the democratic nature of this initiative, comes at no cost, ensuring that no fiscal gatekeeping impedes the will to revitalize and renew.
The OMS, now a facet of Oregon's heritage programs, surgically applies an approach rooted in community self-reliance and local empowerment. The goal: a restoration of central business districts reflective of their inherent strengths, like unique architecture and personal service — pillars that advocate for local ownership, entrepreneurship, and an abiding sense of community. This initiative continues to embody the collective endeavor to sustain Oregon's storied places as vibrant heartlands of economic and social interaction.
