Communities Come Together to Celebrate Main Street Accreditations
(Crystal A. Proxmire, June 15, 2016)
Holly, MI –  “This shows what we can do when we all pitch in and have a common goal,” said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson as he looked around at the thriving historic downtown of Holly.  He sat at the corner of Saginaw Street and Battle Alley presenting accreditation to the ten communities in Oakland County that met all the requirements of the National Main Street program.
The presentation took place in a Downtown that used the Main Street Program to go from what a near ghost town to having 100% occupancy.  With stores like The French Flamingo and Main Street Antiques and delicious places like Bittersweet Cafe  and Simply Coffee, there is a nice mix of shopping and indulgence.  In addition to the friendly businesses, the charm of Holly comes from the historic buildings.  Holly started as a railroad town and is still a place with two major rail lines running through it.  The train station, mill and the Holly Hotel are among the noteworthy places.
The Main Street Program has a strong emphasis on preserving the historic character of traditional down towns, which is what attracted Patterson to the program.  “When I first saw this I thought of preserving history, places like Battle Alley. That’s our history, and our heritage.  I didn’t think of it as a job creator, but that’s a side effect.”
Since Oakland County joined Main Street ten years ago,there have been 971 new businesses created, 7,000 new jobs and $706 million invested.  The program combines principles of organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring to revitalize Downtowns and keep them supported as they prosper.  Clawson, Farmington, Ferndale, Franklin, Highland, Holly, Lake Orion, Ortonville, Oxford and Rochester were the communities honored Tuesday.  There are 32 identifiable Downtowns in Oakland County, and Patterson’s goal is to have them all on board.
Village of Holly President Ryan Bladzik thanked the volunteers and DDA board, as well as musician Gary Musgrave and Simply Coffee and Cupcakes and Kisses for providing breakfast for the guests who traveled from as far away as Rochester and Ferndale for the ceremony.
“Our Main Streets are our communities,” Bladzik said.  In addition to hosting this year’s accreditation, Holly recently had a night of honors at the Main Street Awards in April.
Learn more about Main Street Oakland County at https://www.oakgov.com/advantageoakland/programs/Pages/main-street.aspx.