As a participant of the Partners in Preservation: Main Streets campaign, Chinatown-ID Business Improvemebt Area (CIDBIA) is encouraging the public to visit VoteYourMainStreet.org/seattle to help CIDBIA secure funding to preserve and restore historic ghost signs in Seattle’s International District. Voters can vote online up to 5 times per day until October 31. Seattle is competing with 24 other cities across the United States to receive funding.
CIDBIA has identified several ghost signs, which are old, hand-painted advertisements on buildings, throughout the neighborhood. The ghost signs in Chinatown-International District reflect the neighborhoods unique history, and tell a story about the culture, population, and industry during the early 1900s. With funding, CIDBIA hopes to restore and preserve as many ghost signs in the neighbhood as it can.
Partners in Preservation is a community-based partnership, created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express to raise awareness of the importance of preserving historic places and their role in sustaining local communities.
Partners in Preservation: Main Streets will award $2 million in grant funding from American Express to Main Street districts in need of preservation support across America. The public will determine which sites will receive funding by voting for their favorite main streets through October 31 at VoteYourMainStreet.org/seattle, the online voting portal hosted by National Geographic.
CIDBIA will host an Open House Weekend event on Sunday October 8th for the public, highlighting the importance of Main Street preservation efforts in Seattle. CIDBIA is one of twenty-five historic Main Street districts across the country participating in the Partners in Preservation: Main Streets Open House Weekend.
(the article is retrieved from CID-bia press release)
