THE MAIN STREET PROGRAM began in 1990 to facilitate the revitalization of downtown Toccoa. The Mission Statement of Main Street Toccoa is to improve Toccoa’s quality of life by strengthening downtown’s role as the community’s heart. The Vision Statement of Main Street Toccoa is: Toccoa Main Street is a nonprofit organization formed to make the downtown district the economic and cultural center of the community. The overall objective is to improve the viability and appearence of the downtown district and to stimulate long-term reinvestment through business recruitment and retention, all within the context of historic preservation. Main Street Toccoa has been accredited by the National Trust for Historic Preservation since 1999.Recent honors include the 2009 Great American Main Street Top Ten Semi-finalist from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the 2008 Excellence in Downtown Development Award from the Georgia Downtown Association, and the 2009 Excellence in Rehabilitation Award from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Main Street Toccoa's Ritz Theatre was recently awarded the coveted 2017 Chairman's Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation for renovation work done at the Historic Ritz Theatre.Toccoa’s Program is based on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s recommended four-point approach to downtown redevelopment within the context of historic preservation.
