CHICAGO – March 2, 2009. On Monday at the Palmer House Hilton, Governor Pat Quinn spoke to over 1,500 attendees at the Open Plenary Session of the National Main Streets Conference about the importance of historic commercial districts. 

 

“Here in Illinois, we have been proud of the work done by our communities through the Main Street program to develop welcoming downtown areas,” Governor Quinn said. “We are excited to share all we have learned from our years of revitalizing Main Streets.”

 

The 2009 National Main Streets Conference, which is in Chicago from March 1 through March 4, will showcase how to use technology when revitalizing a downtown area. The conference will feature 88 educational sessions and tours, and take participants throughout the Chicagoland area and into downstate Illinois to see examples of successful renewal.

 

Under Governor Quinn’s leadership, Illinois Main Street has grown to become the fourth largest Main Street program in the nation. Illinois Main Street represents one of the State's most effective public-private partnerships for economic development and community renewal.  The Main Street program has spurred the reinvestment of more than $575 million in Main Street Downtowns. 

 

Governor Quinn was joined at the conference by Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; David Brown, Executive Vice President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Lauri Michel, Vice President for Community Revitalization at the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Doug Loescher, Director of the National Trust Main Street Center; Demetrio Maguigad, New Media Manager at Community Media Workshop in Chicago; Anthea Hartig, Director, Western Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Mary Oberst, First Lady of Oregon; and Barbara Sidway, Owner and Operator of the Geiser Grand Hotel.