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

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –

Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today that Homestead Main Street has been designated the June 2018 Florida Main Street Community of the Month. Communities are selected based on their development achievements and participation in the Florida Main Street Program.

“Homestead Main Street is a true Cinderella story,” said Secretary Detzner. “Their Main Street team took the devastation of Hurricane Andrew and turned the city into one of Florida’s must-see destinations.”

Seminole Theatre, Homestead, Florida

The city of Homestead is the second oldest city in the Miami-Dade area. In 1898, the area opened to “homesteaders” and became a popular destination for farmers. When Henry Flagler extended his railroad from Miami to Key West in 1904, the area became an important agricultural trading center and by 1913 the City of Homestead was incorporated. Today, agriculture still serves as the basis of the city’s economy.

Homestead was designated a Main Street community in 1993, a year after the community was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. Since its designation, Homestead Main Street has been dedicated to revitalizing the downtown by creating jobs and garnering investment dollars for new projects.

The Homestead Main Street program has a lot to celebrate as it enters its 25^th year. Some of its biggest achievements are the renovation of the historic Seminole Theatre into a performing arts center and the revitalization of City Hall in the downtown area. A project is currently underway to develop Homestead Station, a new transit center featuring a movie theatre, bowling alley and video arcade.

“None of this would have been possible without the leadership of our local government officials who made the important commitment to downtown Homestead,” says Executive Director Yvonne Knowles. “This new transit center is a perfect example of city center rehabilitation, job creation, and overall economic stimulus for the historic downtown district.”  

For more information about Homestead Main Street visit homesteadmainst.org. For more information on the Florida Main Street program visit floridamainstreet.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, which currently oversees 51 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 – the community’s heart and soul.