Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
6 � <br /> III . DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION 15 <br /> cosmetically, through plantings and parks for example , areas , as well as the creation of "prototype " apartments <br /> is now appreciated by visitors and residents alike . to is developers and buyers in creating more . <br /> Redeveloping the 20 buildings included in the original <br /> plan motivated similar efforts by nearby property own- <br /> ers . Once renovations began, 16 owners of existing SALISIBURY <br /> properties took steps to improve the appearances of <br /> their buildings as well . The atmosphere of downtown MAKING A BUSINESS OUT OF REDEVELOPMENT <br /> has changed so much that it is now referred to as In 1980 , Salisbury applied for and received technical <br /> " Uptown Selma" to reflect its economic success . assistance from Main Street USA for the revitalization <br /> of its downtown district . That same year, Downtown <br /> Salisbury, Inc . (DSI) , a non-profit corporation devoted <br /> to the redevelopment of the central business district, <br /> was formed . <br /> A DOWNTOWN TO SUIT CHANGING NEEDS DSI , with two full-time staff members , works to <br /> Downtown Morganton in Burke County is centered promote downtown Salisbury and attract new business. <br /> aroundan 1837 courthouse and green space . The city es . It maintains a listing of property available for devel- <br /> is in an area where per- capita income is rising rapidly. opment and keeps downtown business owners informed <br /> Rather than lose this potential customer base to oudy- of new companies and proposed projects for the area . <br /> ing shopping areas , the city undertook the development Incentives such as tax breaks for historic preservation <br /> of a master plan for downtown . The plan included and the 20 , 000-plus cars a day that travel on Innes <br /> studying the region to determine what types of busi- Street play a large role in enticing developers to locate <br /> nesses would do best in the central business district . in the central business district . <br /> Among these were high-end apparel, restaurants , and <br /> hobby shops . DSI helps business owners secure low-interest loans for <br /> redevelopment and obtain grants for facade restoration <br /> The plan calls for wider sidewalks and increased land- through the City of Salisbury 's Community Appearance <br /> scaping in keeping with its green center. To improve Commission . Since its creation , DSI has overseen 234 <br /> the economic center, the city recruited and worked facade improvements , 242 building renovations , and a <br /> with developers to bring in a full service restaurant, a net gain of over 1 , 000 jobs in the central business dis- <br /> theatercomplex, new art galleries and residential units . trict . This has come at a cost of under $ 20 million in <br /> A former mill one block from the courthouse is being public funds and over $35 million by private investors . <br /> transformed into a new city hall with residences on <br /> the upper floors , some of which have already been <br /> completed and sold. <br /> Morganton 's success thus far can be attributed to a <br /> number of factors . In 1996 , they began an 18 -month <br /> planning process involving over 350 citizens before a ,�;, <br /> drafting the plan . In addition, the city has a Main Street 3 L <br /> Program devoted to carrying out the plan . The work is <br /> divided into phases on a timeline, the first section enti- Lt <br /> tied "Demonstration and serves as an incremental <br /> approach to implementation . It involves several small , - ' � <br /> . ;... a rJ <br /> but effective improvements to streetlights and walking d!_ ; <br /> i iE � ; f z <br /> _ :: . _ <br />