The Kansas Department of Commerce announced the winners of the Main Street Awards of Excellence at the annual Kansas Downtown Symposium at Memorial Hall in Independence.

The event is sponsored by the Department’s Kansas Main Street program and provides community developers and business leaders a chance to network, attend workshops and discuss downtown development in Kansas.

The Kansas Main Street program helps community volunteers revitalize their city’s historic business district. The program tackles the complex issues of revitalization, capitalizing on downtown’s history and identifying the resources of the community itself. The Kansas program started in 1985 and provides management training, consultation visits, program evaluation, design assistance, business enhancement strategies, incentive dollars and training for board and committee members and program directors. Kansas Main Street is a self-help program. Staff provides technical assistance, but the responsibility and credit for success rests with the community leaders who offer time, expertise and enthusiasm to revitalizing downtown.

Award winners include:

Dodge City

Community Award – City of Dodge City

Excellence in Public/Private Partnerships – City of Dodge City and Ford County Development Corporation

Excellence in Promotion – Main Street Festival

Excellence in Architectural Design – Historic Downtown Design Guidelines

Excellence in Historic Preservation – Eckle’s Building Rehabilitation, Dr. Kirk Gross

Garden City

Community Award – City of Garden City

Excellence in Public/Private Partnerships – Garden City High School Art Club

Excellence in Business Development – Business Investor/Developer Recruitment Portfolio

Excellence in Business Promotion – Downtown Wellness Program

Reinvestment Award – $5 million

For details, contact Dan Lara, the Department’s public information officer, at (785) 296-3760