Baton Rouge, La. (BRPROUD) — The Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser along with the Office of Cultural Development and Louisiana Main Street are proud to announce the Hammond Downtown Development District has been awarded one of the three 2022 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) for their innovative use of the Main Street approach.

“Congratulations to the Hammond Downtown Development District on this national recognition for their work to transform their community into a catalyst for change. Our historic downtowns are the heart of their communities and the people who live near these areas will reap the benefits from seeing commercial building put into productive use,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.

For almost 40 years, the Hammond Downtown Development District has worked to transform the downtown area back into the light of the community. The district is working to turn a once vacant land into an appealing public space. The district also launched an initiative program supporting small businesses during the pandemic, this includes a questionnaire revealing that only 4% of the businesses in the district were black-owned. This sparked the Urban Market Experience, which is an organization supporting Black entrepreneurs, as well as their businesses.

Patrice Frey, Main Street America President and CEO says, “Hammond’s commitment to community engagement is key to their success.”

For more information on the 2022 Great American Main Street Award, please visit mainstreet.org/mainstreetamerica/mainstreetawards/gamsa.