WILTON MANORS – After 10 years working to improve the city’s Arts and Entertainment District, Wilton Manors Main Street officials say the organization is changing its name, and moving away from the Main Street program, which has helped change the face of many American cities, through initiatives to revitalize areas of a city which have fallen into disrepair. “We are so grateful to the Main Street program for all that it’s done for us,” said Krishan Manners, President and CEO of the new Wilton Manors Development Alliance (WMDA). “Our Board of Directors thought—and debated— extensively about this move. Ultimately, we concluded that we could do more for the city by expanding our focus beyond Wilton Drive.”

In 2011, Main Street began reaching out to business owners on Dixie Highway and Powerline Road. Additional areas will be added, including the Andrews Avenue and Oakland Park Boulevard corridors. Like Main Street, WMDA is still supported solely by donations from businesses and residents of Wilton Manors, and remains a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

“Our entire city is only two square miles, so growth in one area of the city affects the whole,” says Manners. “This was a deciding factor for us.

As Main Street, we were limited in focus to Wilton Drive. As WMDA, we can look at the whole picture and work with the residential groups, businesses, and city government to implement solutions that are appropriate for everyone.”