Secretary Detzner Designates Cocoa as Florida Main Street Program of the Month

TALLAHASSEE –

Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today that Cocoa Main Street has been designated the Florida Main Street Community of the Month for June 2014. Communities are selected based on their developmental achievements and  participation in the Florida Main Street Program. Cocoa Main Street was  designated a Florida Main Street Community in 1995.

"Cocoa Main Street’s Board of Directors and members are enthusiastic and dedicated to their program’s efforts to better the community," says Secretary Detzner. “With hard work and passion, they have greatly improved the historic Cocoa area, bringing it back to life with thriving businesses and popular special events.”

Since its designation as a Main Street community, Cocoa has had 1,555 construction and rehabilitation projects totaling $124.5 million. Over 398 businesses have opened, creating 851 new jobs in the downtown. Volunteers have donated 11,680 hours of their time to meetings and events. Cocoa Main Street continues to support preservation, understanding and appreciation of its town’s history, culture, and architecture through building rehabilitation and design, economic restructuring, and planning management.

“As a Florida Main Street and National Main Street member, Cocoa Main Street has much to be proud of their program’s achievements. Starting with our beautiful downtown location, we have had an opportunity to focus on historic preservation,” explains Cydney Justice, Executive Director of Cocoa Main Street. “Derby Street Chapel and The River House are two projects we are raising funds to restore, as these are important properties used by our community. Currently, we are also raising money for a playground and new  equipment, and we anticipate receiving restoration funding for another historic  building, the Porcher House.”

Riverfront Park, Cocoa, Florida

The city of Cocoa was founded by fishermen in 1882, and was named “Indian River City.”  However, the city’s new post office claimed the name was too long to be used as a postmark. At a town meeting in 1884, the name “Cocoa” was suggested by Captain R.C May, because of the area’s association with the cocoa plant. By  1895, the City of Cocoa was incorporated and on its way to becoming a budding Florida community. The downtown area is filled with historic buildings that have been in continual use for decades, serving the community as a place for shopping, dining, hosting weddings, and much more. For more information about Cocoa Main Street or the Florida Main Street program visit flheritage.com or facebook.com/FloridaMainStreet.

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About Florida Main Street
Florida Main Street is a program administered by the Division of Historical Resources under the Florida Department of 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 the  heart and soul of Florida’s communities- the downtown. Since the program’s inception in 1985, participating programs have received technical assistance through manager training, and professional consultations in promotion, economic restructuring, organization, and design.