In the past couple of months, the Niles downtown has seen a number of formerly empty storefronts transformed into operating businesses.

There to help the businesses become established along the Main Street corridor are members of the Niles Downtown Development Authority Main Street.

The hard work spent helping businesses to find a home in Niles is just one of the organization’s missions and visions that helped them to achieve accreditation as a Main Street America program earlier this month.

Niles DDA Main Street director Lisa Croteau was ecstatic to hear the news, but said the achievement did not come without dedication from the committee and its volunteers.

“We were very excited,” Croteau said. “It is a huge honor to be an accredited community and our board worked really hard this year to make it happen.”

Croteau recognized volunteers and members of the committee for helping to make the accreditation possible.

The accreditation was awarded after the Niles DDA Main Street met 10 rigorous performance standards issued by the National Main Street Center.

The standards examined a number of the organization’s functions, including how the Niles DDA Main Street utilizes revitalization efforts to help foster a stronger downtown community that is able to build partnerships, possess a historic preservation ethic and work toward goals through a developed mission and vision statement, among other standards required through the Main Street Approach.

One example that emphasizes the partnerships formed with the Niles DDA and the community includes the Hunter Ice Festival, which brings thousands of people to the Niles each year.

Having a solid plan for the future that helps committee members work toward a goal was crucial to achieving accreditation.

The Niles DDA Main Street is evaluated annually by the Michigan Main Street, which works with the National Main Street Center.

The Niles downtown has received accreditation every year but 2016, according to Croteau.

“When the committee has been doing [its work] for a long time, sometimes some of the passion gets lost,” Croteau said. “But they worked diligently to get the Main Street back on track.”

Through market research, the committee determined that one way to help get back on track was helping Niles to become a dining destination. The goal was incorporated into the Niles DDA Main Street’s mission and vision.

With the addition of businesses like Swirlyz Frozen Yogurt, Paris Soda Co. and the soon to open El Amigo Pepe, it is easy to see how those efforts have transformed the downtown.

“We wanted to focus on becoming a community known for the place to go for a really wonderful food experience that is going to bring positive economic change,” Croteau said. “Retail is having such a difficult time at all levels, so your shopping experience needs to truly be an experience and that is why we largely chose the food.”

The accreditation could also be one more item that helps the Niles DDA Main Street stand out when applying for grants or other forms of state money.

“[Accreditation] never hurts. Public money is always hard to come by,” Croteau said. “The more you show as a community that you have a vision and goal that you are working toward, the better chance you have of getting money.”

Required top 10 standards:

• Has broad-based community support for the commercial district revitalization process, with strong support from both the public and private sectors

• Has developed vision and mission statements relevant to community conditions and to the local Main Street program’s organizational stage

• Has a comprehensive Main Street work plan

• Possesses an historic preservation ethic

• Has an active board of directors and committees

• Has an adequate operating budget

• Has a paid professional program manager

• Conducts a program of ongoing training for staff and volunteers

• Reports key statistics

• Is a current member of the Main Street America Network