HJ0058 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0058 LRB093 18452 HSS 44163 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, For more than 200 years downtown districts have served as the heart and soul of our communities; they are the site of parades, passionate speeches, and public gathering places; and

WHEREAS, The words "main street" conjure up images of a friendly place to greet your neighbors and friends, shop for unique gifts or supplies, and enjoy an evening of good food and entertainment; and

WHEREAS, Downtown businesses have provided stable incomes to millions of Illinois residents, paid billions of tax dollars for city and State services, and provided countless sponsorships for activities that contribute to a community's quality of life; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Main Street program is a nationally recognized model for preserving the historic integrity and economic vitality of downtowns and neighborhood business districts; and

WHEREAS, The Office of the Lieutenant Governor for the State of Illinois successfully implemented the Main Street program beginning in 1993 using the proven National Main Street Center's comprehensive model for downtown revitalization - the Four Point Approach®: Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Restructuring; and

WHEREAS, Fifty-six Illinois communities are actively participating in the Illinois Main Street program, and consequently, more than $418 million has been invested in their downtown districts, nearly 5,000 new jobs have been created and more than 1,300 businesses have sprung up or expanded in the State; and

WHEREAS, The programs associated with Illinois Main Street will certainly continue to restore, restructure, and revitalize the soul of their community with successful results; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we recognize the first Saturday in June as Illinois Main Street Day in Illinois.