Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / July 30, 2003, edition 2 / Page 1
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The Chowan Herald's Progress Edition — July 30, 2003 s Edenton's Main Street Program: What comes next I BY ANGELA PEREZ Staff Writer Early in Edenton’s history its Main Street, Broad Street, signified the i prosperity and progress of the town. A once hustling and bustling center of economic and local governmental activity, Edenton’s “Main Street” cuts through downtown and ends at the waterfront. Throughout the history of small-town America, Main Streets have always been a gauge of Ameri can prosperity in general and the place where communities came to gether. Nowadays, Broad Street is an ex ample of one of America’s greatest and most cherished symbols of the past and of the cohesiveness of small town community life. It represents the good old days - a slower time be fore huge faceless commercial cen ters and strip malls. Edenton’s “Main Street” is a place where early history, traditional values and architecture are well-preserved in order to main tain this important community legacy. North Carolina’s Department of Commerce recognizes the impor tance of preserving this important part of American history and in re sponse created the Main Street Pro gram. The program is a 23-year old comprehensive revitalization process designed to improve all aspects of the downtown, producing both intangible and tangible benefits by * improving economic manage ment, * strengthening public, * recruiting new businesses, * rehabilitating buildings and * expanding parking. This year Edenton was one of four communities designated to partici pate in the Main Street Program.'The other cities chosen were Eden, Forest City, and Marion. The program will help Edenton revitalize its downtown area. THE FIRST YEAR ■ “For any newly designated Main Street Community,” says Belinda Washlesky, former director of the Perquiman’s Main Street Program, “the first year is like laying the in frastructure in a new city. It’s the groundwork on which everything else is built and it is truly a very exciting time for anyone who chooses to get involved, i.e., down town business and property own ers; town and county officials; tour ism, historic, economic develop ment, and other or ganizations, resi dents, etc.” Washlesky has been instrumental in Edenton being in cluded in the program which includes 46 communities. She worked on Edenton’s application with town officials and is a vet eran of the program. “One thing that I feel is very important to mention and some thing that often gets confused,” says Washlesky, “is that the North Carolina Main Street Program does not come with money or any kind of financial assistance; this is a program that is supported locally.” COMPONENT ONE The first thing that Broad Street has historically been the center of community and economic life in Edenton. Pictured here is J.H. McMullan, the mayor, signalling the beginning of the Peanut Rolling Contest for the 1938 Peanut Festival. (PHOTO COURESY OF HISTORIC EDENTON STATE HISTORIC SITE1 program. This relationship will in clude holding Main Street Managers training meetings twice a year, grant ing awards for completed projects to give recognition to towns and the ma jor projects they have accomplished. Washlesky adds, “From this day forward, any person, organization, entity, etc., that refers to Edenton in a brochure, magazine article, press release, or any other verbal or writ ten communication, should use the new North Carolina Main Street des ignation to their advantage. That is, more and more, tourists, people look ing to relocate, etc. are starting to look for towns that have been selected into the Main Street Program. All refer ence to Edenton should say some thing like, “Edenton, a North Caro lina Main Street Community” or “Edenton, designated a North Caro lina Main Street Town in 2003,” etc., .when referring to the town. This is particularly important as brochures or other publications are up for re print; this new jewel in our crown needs to beemphasized and used to its fullest potential.. “ lias iu nay pen ui get Edenton’s Main Street Program started is that a direc tor has to be hired. Secondly, a board of directors is put in place to help with the organization and guidance of the program. Next, comes “Picture Downtown” and a “Vision Forum.” Says Washlesky, “During ‘Picture Downtown’ the director will solicit volunteers to assist in taking photos of various sites and structures in the downtown Main Street Program area of things that they like, dislike, or think needs improvement. Partici pants are kept anonymous although this activity creates a lot of excite ment. These pictures are then ar ranged on poster boards and pre sented at a public “Vision Forum.” The public is, onfce again, invited to participate by signing up, in advance to attend the “Vision Forum” where the head of the NC Main Street Pro gram, Rodney Swink, will come and lead us through a fascinating session, including a breakout of focus groups.” Finally, the process culminates with a “Vision Statement” in which the director sets up the Main Street office and records, meets downtown business and property owners and develops a data base of their contact information. Economic restructuring tasks, like meeting with potential new business owners, are carried out. COMPONENT TWO The second component of the first year in the program is the “Recon naissance Visit.” Rodney Swink, the director of the Main Street Program will come to Edenton to meet with the board and director to assess the town’s progress and to offer advice. There will also be a “Resource Team Week.” The Main Street man onar or-ir! Qiirinb will culminate in a big public forum where the findings will be present in a very entertaining and informative manner. All information will be typed into a written document and can be used as a strategic plan for the Eden ton Main Street Program.” After the first year, the NC Main Street Program will continue to work closely with the Edenton Main Street vvuii me cummumem oi me com munity and downtown businesses, the revitalization of downtown will help improve Chowan County’s economy by creating more jobs and drawing in more tourist dollars. The program has proven extremely ben eficial to other towns and given the continued level of community in volvement in Edenton, it should prove a huge success. will assemble a team of profes sionals from all across the state to do research^ hold confidential inter views, and visit restaurants and businesses. Says Washlesky, “This group will consist of an expert in Or ganization, De sign, Promotions, and Economic Re structuring. They all come to Edenton The Main Street direc tor will be very busy assisting in this process be fore, during, and after. The week Throughout American history. Main Streets have been symbols of progress and pros perity. In this 1927 photo of a Broad Street drawing for a free automobile, the electric light pole is displayed prominently in the center of the street. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HISTORIC EDENTON STATE HISTORIC SITE) Hertford's example can help guide Edenton's plans BY TAMIKA SPRUILL ' Staff Writer All throughout North Carolina many commu nity leaders and public officials are working to bring vitality back to their main street areas. Many towns are practicing the Main Street ap proach through the North Carolina Main Street Pfogram. Since its beginning in 1980 North Carolina Main Street communities have seen oyer $540 million of new investment and gained 8,400 new jobs in their downtown areas. Eienton has joined the ranks of other North Carolina communities by being selected this spring to participate in the Main Street Pro gram. What can Edenton expect as it ventures iiito this new and exciting opportunity? Neigh boring town Hertford, already a Main Street Community serves as a shining example. '‘When we were selected in 2000 we made a three year commitment to the actively partici pate in the program,” states Wendy Jewett, Ex ecutive Director of Historic Hertford, Inc. The North Carolina Main Street Center (NCMSC) does not provide funding for the towns but it does give services in program guid ance, technical assistance, and training. It also serves as a valuable network that gives commu nities access to other in-state programs. “The support of the NCMSC helps engage the town in the Main Street Process. The support given will be tailored to the town’s specific needs,” Jewett adds. “ The Center is in Raleigh and is very accessible by e-mail or telephone.” The Main Street approach is based on four elements: organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring. Downtown Hertford has seen a lot progress in these areas since it was inducted in the program. In terms of eco nomic development thirty jobs were created and four new businesses were added to the down town area. Public investment has totaled $403,776; private investment has brought in $370,380 for a grand total investment of $774,076. -i ■ i —sum* 1 — The Perquimans River Bridge is slated to obtain lights as part of the streetlight enhancement project. in tne design domain eignt storefronts were redone and five buildings were renovated. "The Program engages the community in the process,” Jewett states. “The streets are cleaner and shop owners are keeping their areas neat too.” Hertford Mayor Sid Eley also agrees with the positive impact The Main Street Program has had on the community. “It’s really sparked an inter est in the revitalization of the downtown district,” Eley says. “Twelve years ago there were at least seven vacant store fronts downtown. Now there are none.” Hertford is working on several projects through the Program. The princi pal one being the Tea-21 project which is in con junction with the Depart ment of Transportation and Historic Preservation. This streetlight enhance ment project will, put streetlights in the down town area and in the His toric S Bridge area. The project will have under ground wiring and decora tive paving. The Tea-21 Project has received $900,000 in funds from various committed sources. i--—. - -_- i The Hertford Visitor Center was donated and renovated through the Main Street Program. Anoiner in progress project is applying for non-profit organization status. For the first three years the Main Street Program has operated through a department of the town of Hertford. The program is now oper ating through Historic Hertford, Inc. in the Hertford Visitor Center. The Visitor Center was donated by individuals and renovated through a grant. Future endeavors include the fabrication of Historic Gateway signs, creating a new down town parking plan and establishing a fundraising committee. The biggest future enterprise is the possibil ity of establishing a countywide Blueway Greenway plan. “We have several historic districts and Hertford and Winfall are historic towns. Our vi sion is to link all the historic sites to a trail sys tem,” Jewett says. An application has been submitted to the Na tional Park Service and if accepted the Blueway Greenway plan will be an Eco-tourism engine. It will compose a trail system throughout the county that pedestrians and bicyclists can use. The trail will also have a kayaking and canoeing component. As seen through Hertford, downtown Edenton can expect great things from the Main Street Program. There have been over 1,900 renovated buildings and more than 4,400 new business start ups. The North Carolina Main Street Program is operated through the North Carolina Depart ment of Commerce under the auspice of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information visit the website at www.dca.commerce.state.nc.us.
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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July 30, 2003, edition 2
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