Downtown Investors Are Helping to Revive the Heart of Rocky Mount
business, downtown, imperial centre, revitalization,
Downtown Rocky Mount‚ like many of America’s small urban centers‚ was an overlooked asset for much of the last three decades.
Investors bypassed the heart of the city in search of greener pastures in the suburbs and more rural areas of town.
But today‚ downtown projects are the talk of Rocky Mount‚ as revitalization efforts push forward two projects that will change how the city looks.
“Downtown is the heart of your city. It’s your living room‚ and if you have guests over‚ you want your living room to look nice‚” says Michael Cook‚ owner of Tyson’s Upholstery on Main Street and president of the Downtown Merchants Association.
The city’s downtown got a big make over with the creation of the Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences on the north end of town and renovation of the historic train station on the south.
“The idea is to fill Main Street in between those two anchors‚ but it needs to be done primarily with private money‚” says Ian Kipp‚ downtown devel opment manager for Rocky Mount.
Other buildings‚ such as the five-story Peoples Bank building that had been vacant since the late 1980s‚ also have been brought back to life.
The downtown’s comeback is being made possible through the combined efforts of the city‚ private investors and groups such as the Self-Help Ventures Fund‚ which restored the Peoples Bank and the former post office buildings.
Downtown activity is probably at the “highest peak it’s been in a long time‚” Cook says.
About 50 businesses‚ including new rest aurants and offices‚ operate downtown.
An average of 10‚000 more people annually are visiting Rocky Mount because of the Imperial Centre‚ says Ian Kipp‚ downtown development manager for Rocky Mount. The city has been named to host the North Carolina Main Street Conference in January 2008 at the Imperial Centre. The conference has typically taken place in communities such as Salisbury and Morgantown that have completed major renovations of their downtowns‚ although Rocky Mount’s renaissance is considered still a work in progress.
“We’re at a different stage of down town revitalization‚ but the fact they’re coming here is a huge vote of confidence for Rocky Mount‚” Kipp says. “We hope in 10 years every building will be renovated and have mixed uses‚ with people living upstairs‚ and vibrant retail in the downstairs. We know there’s not going to be a JCPenney and Belk’s back into the downtown area because of parking‚ but we plan to have a unique downtown with small shops‚ restaurants and art galleries.”
The Douglas Block Redevelopment Plan‚ an estimated $20 million project‚ will create commercial and residential neighborhoods in an area that was once the African-American cultural and com mercial hub of Rocky Mount.
The city plans to break ground in 2008 for the first phase‚ renovating the block’s commercial buildings. Residential development along Albemarle Avenue will follow in the second phase.
The city is acquiring the property through grants and investors and is seeking a partner to develop the land.
Rocky Mount’s downtown will be getting new sidewalks‚ park benches‚ streetlights and more as part of another major project that will also improve traffic patterns for motorists and pedestrians.
The renovations and push for even more investments shows just how far Rocky Mount has rebounded since the 1999 flood that destroyed 25 percent of the city’s buildings.
“The city of Rocky Mount turned a corner in 2005 and shook off the cobwebs of that disaster and began to make some economic strides‚” Kipp says. “That was the beginning of private investment in an area where there was very little investment over the last number of years.”
Story by Cristal Cody
Photo by Ian Curcio
