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 Organizers of a proposed Main Street program in Roanoke Rapids believe The People’s Theater is one of the buildings vital to its potential success. Restoration of the theater has been an on-and-off-again project for the past several years mostly due to the high cost of restoration. Lance Martin | Daily Herald |
steam and are the focus of public debate.
The Main Street Program is a unique approach to revitalizing
communities and has proven highly successful in North Carolina and
across the nation.
The Roanoke Avenue Business Alliance is spearheading the effort to gain
Main Street status for Roanoke Rapids. Only a handful of communities
are chosen for the state program each year.
The Alliance outlined the program for the city council Tuesday and then
presented a special background on the idea to the community Wednesday.
It goes before the Halifax County Board of Commissioners in July.
The North Carolina Main Street Program is a focused, detailed effort to
improve the community through local participation, volunteer efforts,
grant and state funding and business participation.
Merchant response
Most business people wholeheartedly agree on the need for a resurgence
on The Avenue but for some, memories of other programs that missed the
target still linger. None of the previous efforts offered the depth and
scope of support nor had the proven track record of Main Street.
A 1995 plan never took off, said Pete Luter, owner of Countryside
Chimney Sweeps. “They had an executive director,” he recalled, adding a
special tax district was set up and most of the Avenue business owners
paid the tax, a payment averaging less than $200 a year.
There were, however, merchants who didn’t want to pay and the program
eventually fizzled out.
Luter supports the Main Street program. He doesn’t think, however,
business owners will support a tax. “I just think people won’t vote for
a tax. If they don’t vote for a tax it won’t happen,” he said. “I would
pay the tax. Some people are tight and greedy.”
Because The Avenue is also a state highway, Luter doubts anything can
be done. “My comment is we can never do anything when big old log
trucks are coming down. We could do a lot of things if it wasn’t for
the big trucks. We could go back to angle parking and put twice as many
cars in the same place.”
Mary Tillery, of Tillery Designs, said she would like to see the
historic district designated as such. “I’d like to see the streets
renovated and see improvements made to the exterior appearance (of
businesses),” she said, as well as making sure businesses compliment
each other.
Parking is also an issue, she said. “More parking needs to be downtown.
We need to create parking lots with the businesses which are
deteriorating.”
Dorothy O. Edmonds, owner of Dixie Screen Printing, said the last time
a program was discussed, people could not find common ground. “They had
a good idea,” she said.
A class system existed, she said. “If you’re not in society they don’t
bother with you.”
Edmonds believes the program could succeed if all business owners are
included. “I think it can be (successful) if people wouldn’t back stab.”
She also believes the Main Street program will be geared to select
businesses on The Avenue. “Everyone needs to come together. Everyone
needs to work together on this,” she said.
Thomas Lynch, of Lynch’s Office Supply, said many of The Avenue
business owners are worried about taxes, which has been used in several
communities which have the program. “Nobody likes new taxes,” he said,
“With this economy, another tax on us, it’s going to kill some people.
It’s already mighty hard.”
Lynch says he, like other business owners on The Avenue, try to keep
their storefronts looking good and fresh.
Parking also concerns him. “I’m thinking they should bring angle
parking. It’s easier to get in and out. There’s not that much municipal
parking close by. One thing we need to think about is getting more cars
on The Avenue.”
Phil Hux, owner of First Carolina Agency, believes the program will
succeed this time. “We can’t rely on the city. I think it will succeed
if we (business owners) stay behind it.”
Hux believes the passion of Roanoke Avenue Business Alliance’s Simpson
and others involved in the program will make it succeed. “They’re going
to push it through,” he said.
The Avenue, Hux said, remains the heart of the city, and he remembers a
time when there were four or five men’s stores and a drug store along
the boulevard. “I would love to see the People’s Theater brought back,”
he said.
There are already unique businesses on The Avenue, Hux said, businesses
like Countryside Interiors.
These kind of businesses, he said, are the backbone of the city, where
managers and owners are accessible. “If you come to my place you’re
going to speak to me.”
The city’s role in Main Street program will be limited initially, Mayor
Drewery Beale said. “Unfortunately, due to the financial situation, I
wish it was possible to do some financial support. Maybe later on when
the budget will allow it.”
Until there is a turn in the budget situation, Beale said the city will
have to provide in-kind services. “It’s going to take someone who is
devoted full-time. If they get that and support then it is workable.”
The mayor said people need to understand the program won’t take off
overnight.
While there has been talk of preserving the mill village as part of the
program, Beale says his belief is the houses there need to be razed. He
said he has invested close to $200,000 on improvements to two mill
houses in the city. “I don’t think you’ll find a lot of people who want
to put that kind of investment in them. My take on the mill village is
I think they should all come down, rezone the property, (add) new water
and sewer (lines) and start all over.”
Beale said the city stands ready to work with the organizers of the
program.
The Business Alliance believes the program will help all merchants,
said Wade. “Not only will the Main Street Program promote business and
improvements to the entire Avenue, but also history shows every
successful Main Street city sees significant improvement in the quality
of life, businesses and residential areas outlying the Main Street
district.”
The Business Alliance is moving forward with its plans for developing
the program, Wade said. “Roanoke Rapids has greater potential for
success than many other Main Street projects. Our location, history,
rich beauty, and natural resources well position Roanoke Rapids to be a
great Main Street success.”
Wade said the group’s fundraising efforts and grants projects will
focus on what she calls the important need for a full-time project
director. “This effort, along with the support of the N.C. Main Street
program, will help to ensure the success of this project.”
She explained Wednesday night’s presentation by Smithfield Main Street
Director Chris Johnson was just the beginning of the Business
Alliance’s work to inform and educate the citizens of Roanoke Rapids
about the Main Street Program. “The potential 40 percent tax credits,
enhancement grants and the growing support of our citizens for
improvement of their community should be a boon to this project and
success for generations to come.”
Simpson said the Alliance plans to have at least monthly meetings on
the program and also plans to elect representatives from each block in
the Avenue, “So each person’s interest is addressed on each block in
the process.”
What’s next in the Main Street quest
The Roanoke Avenue Business Alliance is completing the application for
the N.C. Main Street Program. It must be submitted by July 15. The
final decision is expected in early fall.
In the interim, the group is seeking photos showing what The Avenue —
from the depot to the river — looked like in the past, especially in
the 1920s and 1930s. Anyone who has a photo is asked to submit it to
the group at Roanoke Avenue Business Alliance, P.O. Box 1227, Roanoke
Rapids NC 27870.
The Alliance is also seeking volunteers to represent each block along
The Avenue and to discuss what is needed on that specific block and
entire boulevard. “We want merchants, interested people and others to
meet once a month on this committee,” explained Kim Simpson. “We want
them to share what they envision.” If you are interested in serving,
contact Simpson at 578-5294 or Wade at 532-4078. A Web site for the
Main Street Program is also under development.
What Main Street is:
The North Carolina Main Street Center works to stimulate economic
development within the context of historic preservation, using a
comprehensive approach to downtown revitalization developed by the
National Trust for Historic Preservation and utilized by the Trust's
National Main Street Center to assist communities across the country.
The National Main Street Program has added more than 44 states to the
Main Street network and has assisted more than 1,200 active communities
nationally. Having “graduated” from the demonstration program, North
Carolina has continued to offer the Main Street Program to cities and
towns throughout the state and now provides direct assistance to 57
Main Street communities and indirect assistance to countless others.
Since the program began in 1980, North Carolina Main Street downtowns
have experienced:
• A gain of $1.1 billion in new investment.
• A net gain of 13,000 jobs.
• Renovation of 3,000 buildings.
• A net gain of 3,100 businesses.
The Main Street program has a four-point approach:
• Organization: Building partnerships to create a consistent
revitalization program and develop effective management and leadership
downtown. Diverse groups — merchants, bankers, public officials, the
chamber of commerce and civic groups — must work together to improve
downtown.
• Promotion: Reestablishing downtown as a compelling place for
shoppers, investors and visitors. This means not only improving sales,
but also rekindling community excitement and involvement. Promotion
ranges from street festivals to retail merchandising, from community
education to marketing and public relations.
• Design: Enhancing the visual quality of the downtown. Attention is
given to the downtown environment elements — not just buildings and
storefronts, but also public improvements, rear entries, signs,
landscaping, window displays and graphic materials.
• Economic restructuring: Strengthening the existing economic assets
of the business district while diversifying its economic base.
Activities include conducting market analysis to understand the
changing market place, adapting vacant buildings that have outlived
their original purposes for use as entertainment or cultural facilities
and sharpening the competitiveness of Main Street's traditional
merchants.
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