By Emilio Carlesimo
It may be confusing, as many people think of Venice MainStreet as a merchant organization. However, VMS is not solely an organization of downtown business owners and its mission is far broader than helping businesses thrive. It is an organization created 28 years ago by a group of forward thinking business leaders, downtown merchants and city fathers who knew that to preserve our downtown we needed to do more.
In the mid-1980’s downtown Venice was at a crossroads. It could have fallen into disrepair, as apathy and new retail options entered the market. Or it could flourish and become the town we celebrate today.
In 1988 Venice Main Street was accepted into the National Main Street organization. No small feat, as the application process took over two years and required that the applicant (Venice) showed a full community partnership between the city, chamber of commerce, business people, merchants, property owners, service organizations and citizens. It was an incredible task to bring all of these diverse groups together to support a plan to revitalize and stabilize downtown Venice. Can you envision Venice without its welcoming downtown avenues and gateway to the beaches?
The Main Street designation has allowed VMS to do more than could be accomplished by just a downtown business association. Its non-profit (501C3) designation gives it many advantages and allows all contributions to be tax deductible.
In welcoming Venice into the National Main Street program, the judges recognized Venice’s great sense of history and its desire to see the downtown remain a viable part of the community. They also added that Venice still maintains a belief in the “hometown” concept and concluded, “It is a special place, with a special heritage and most of all, special people.” That is still true thanks to the efforts of Venice Mainstreet.
Venice MainStreet deserves your support always, but needs your help just a little extra this month. Venice MainSreet joins 24 other Main Streets across the country in the final stages of America’s Main Street Contest. Online voting takes place May 2nd – May 29th and Venice MainStreet could win a grant of $25,000! If VMS receives these much, needed funds it will help tremendously in its work of keeping the magic of Venice alive.
Vote for Venice MainStreet: http://mainstreetcontest.com/profile.php?id=46
