Last week, winners of the Secretary of State’s 2023 Florida Main Street Awards were announced during the Preservation on Main Street Conference in Ocala. Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd was at the ceremony to present awards to this year’s winners who achieved outstanding results in historic preservation and commercial activity through the Florida Main Street program.
“This year’s winners have shown a remarkable commitment to preserving the distinct heritage, traditions, and culture that make their historic downtowns attractive places for commerce,” said Secretary Byrd. “The Department of State is proud to showcase these success stories in the preservation and revitalization of Florida’s historic downtowns.”
Local Leader of the Year
Jim Dean, City Manager, City of Marianna on behalf of Main Street Marianna
Mayor Paul Alfrey, City of Melbourne on behalf of Melbourne Main Street
Mayor Nate Kilton, Plant City on behalf of Historic Plant City Main Street
Board Member of the Year
Tony Lombardo, Havana Main Street
Theresa Proverbs, Labelle Downtown Revitalization Corporation
Corey Runte, Melbourne Main Street
Business Owner of the Year
Nathalie Wu, Wicked Bao, Fernandina Beach Main Street
Distinctive Preservation Award
Downtown Mixed-use Design Standards, Lake Wales Main Street (Category A)
Preservation Month, MainStreet DeLand Association (Category B)
Landmark Preservation Project
Historic Stuart Building Restoration, Main Street Bartow (Category A)
Budget Hawk
Beautify Brooksville, Brooksville Main Street (Category A)
Oktoberfest, Historic Plant City Main Street (Category B)
Poemville, Audubon Park Garden District (Category C)
Sunshine Booster
Downtown Florida Panther Mural, Main Street Bartow (Category A)
City of St. Cloud, St. Cloud Main Street (Category B)
Telling Your Story
2022 Annual Report, Main Street DeFuniak Springs (Category A)
DTMB Branding, Melbourne Main Street (Category B)
Celebrating Main Street
Bartow In Bloom, Main Street Bartow (Category A)
Last Friday Food Truck Rally, Historic Plant City Main Street (Category B)
Storybook Adventures, St. Cloud Main Street (Category B)
Four Point Warrior
Southern Craft Creamery Market, Marianna Main Street
For more information on the MainStreet Ocala Association, visit OcalaMainStreet.org or Facebook.com/OcalaMainStreet. To learn more about the Florida Main Street program, visit FloridaMainStreet.com or Facebook.com/FloridaMainStreet.
About Florida Main Street
Florida Main Street is a program administered by the Division of Historical Resources under the Florida Department of State, which currently oversees 57 communities throughout the state. By implementing the National Main Street Center’s Four-Point Approach, Florida Main Street encourages economic development within the context of historic preservation through the revitalization of Florida’s downtowns, cultural and heritage districts – the community’s heart and soul.
