Ortonville is the smallest of 10 Oakland County Main Street communities, but the village’s Main Street program has won MSOC’s biggest honor.
The Ortonville Main Street program was given the ‘Spirit? award of distinction during ‘A Celebration of Success,? on Oct. 14 in Pontiac. Additionally, the Ortonville Main Street program won an achievement award for work planning process and committee work plans.
‘I was very surprised and pleased,? said Main Street Manager Julie Courtney of the awards. ‘It shows that in the short time we have had the Main Street program, we are starting off on the right foot. It’s a great accomplishment and it shows the level of commitment from our DDA (Downtown Development Authority) board and volunteers.?
The ‘Spirit? award is given to the Main Street program with the most enthusiasm and involvement, while the achievement award is given for the most people (representing a cross-section of the community) involved in the work planning process and most details in the work plans.
At the second annual Main Street event in which Courtney estimated 200 to 300 people were present, each community gave a 10-minute presentation on their Main Street program. Besides Ortonville, Main Street communities in Oakland County are Farmington, Ferndale, Holly, Lake Orion, Oxford, Pontiac, Rochester, Royal Oak and Walled Lake.
The Main Street program is a preservation-based economic development program that provides local businesses and communities with technical resources to revitalize their downtowns. The program uses a
four-point approach: organization? building consensus and cooperation; promotion? marketing the downtown’s assets to local citizens, new businesses, customers and new private investors; design’improving the physical appearance of the downtown by rehabilitating historic buildings and encouraging new compatible construction and long-term design management; and economic restructuring? strengthening the downtown’s existing economic base and finding ways to expand it with new opportunities.
For more information on Ortonville’s Main Street program or to volunteer, call (248) 627-4976.