Canton's Main Street A Finalist In America’s Main Streets Contest

CANTON, GA — If you've ever walked down Canton Main Street and thought, "this has to be one of the best Main Streets in America," then you could soon be correct.

The national small business movement, Independent We Stand, recently announced the quarter finalists in the 2019 “America’s Main Streets” contest, including Canton Main Street of Canton, the city said. As the lifeblood of cities and towns, Main Streets play an important role in the long-term success of communities and help build a sense of place.

Semifinalist voting begins today, April 29, at MainStreetContest.com and runs through May 26 for the grand prize of $25,000.

Why should you vote for Canton Main Street?

The Canton Main Street program was established in 2010 to enhance the quality of life for the Canton residents. With a heart for historic preservation and an eye on the future, Georgia's Canton is building an economy for the next generation while restoring buildings from past generations. In the last two years, over 300,000-square-feet of historic buildings have been restored including former schools, a textile mill and the historic Jones Mercantile in the heart of downtown. Canton has made a name for itself with exciting and new possibilities for growth within an authentic, inviting community that deeply cares about the city's future and unrivaled quality of life. Georgia Trend Magazine recently recognized Canton as one of the 2019 "LIVE, WORK, PLAY" Communities. Conveniently located between Atlanta and the Blue Ridge Mountains, Canton is the fastest growing county in Georgia. For that reason, Canton is adding over 400 new homes each year and working to connect downtown with the Etowah River through aggressive trails plans, infrastructure improvements, and a passion for place making, the city said. This grant would provide seed money for new business growth in the downtown area as the city moves #CantonForward.

The top 10 semifinalists will be announced May 27. The winner of the 2019 “America’s Main Streets” contest will be announced June 3 followed by a “Main Streets Make Us Better” celebration on the Fourth of July, when the winner will announce how the prize money will be used.

Nearly 230,000 total votes were cast for 232 entrants during the nominations phase. The 2019 quarter finalists are:

• Belleville Main Street, Belleville, Ill.
• Benicia Main Street, Benicia, Calif.
• Cambridge Main Street, Cambridge, Ohio
• Canton Main Street, Canton, Ga.
• Center Street/Downtown Rutland, Rutland, Vt.
• Corning's Gaffer District, Corning, N.Y.
• Downtown Big Rapids, Big Rapids, Mich.
• Downtown Elkin Historic Main Street, Elkin, N.C.
• Downtown Jeffersonville, Jeffersonville, Ind.
• Downtown Montpelier, Montpelier, Vt.
• Herrick Avenue, Wellington, Ohio
• Historic Downtown Ripon, Ripon, Wis.
• Jacksonville Main Street, Jacksonville, Ill.
• LaBelle Downtown Revitalization Corporation, LaBelle, Fla.
• Lincoln Avenue, Bellevue, Pa.
• Logansport, Indiana, Logansport, Ind.
• Lost Nation Main Street, Lost Nation, Iowa
• Main Street Amherst, Amherst, Ohio
• Main Street Covington, Covington, Ga.
• Main Street Hayward, Hayward, Wis.
• Peru, Indiana, Peru, Ind.
• Saco Main Street, Saco, Maine
• Texarkana Main Street, Texarkana, Ark./Texas
• Uptown Butte, Montana, Butte, Mont.