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Garner: On fast track to Main Street?

By Paul Tambasco
News Editor

Garner is applying to become a N.C. Main Street community, a designation that advocates say carries prestige statewide but, more importantly, accesses critical support in unlocking downtown’s potential.

A group of kids walks along the railroad tracks that run parallel to Main Street during a Music on Main concert Thursday, July 9. KEN HALL, KENHALLPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

If selected, the town would join 57 others as a N.C. Main Street community. The program accepts applicants every two to three years. Most recently in 2006, Fuquay-Varina, Wake Forest, Hickory and Clayton received the designation.

Applications are evaluated by the N.C. Main Street Center, which is a program of the Community Assistance Division of the state commerce department. The center serves as a clearinghouse for resources and assistance in jumpstarting dormant downtowns.

“We bring the tools, what works and what doesn’t work from all over North Carolina to the communities … and help them make good decisions about their downtown[s],” said Liz Parham, director of the N.C. Main Street Center.

Parham says the application process is intensive. Prospective towns complete a lengthy document with 38 essay questions. To be successful, the towns have to demonstrate a commitment to historical preservation through the four-part approach developed in the 1970s by the National Historic Preservation Trust.

Typically, between three and five cities are accepted from each applicant pool. This year, Garner is one of four municipalities to apply, Parham said. Applications are down because there are few qualified towns left not already in the program.

“It’s not the economy,” Parham said.

Garner will learn whether it made the grade by mid-October.

“We’re looking for someone who is interested in preservation. …They can’t be tearing down historic buildings,” Parham said.

Advocates of Garner’s downtown say they are highlighting completed projects along the three blocks of Main Street, including the Bryan building, which was renovated using historic tax credits. The building houses a restaurant space on the first floor and condominiums on the floors above.

Mixed-use facilities, blending residential and commercial purposes, are encouraged, said John Hodges, director of the Garner Revitalization Association, which is overseeing the town’s application.

He is highlighting potential projects as well, such as the former Penny store, the old Bank of Garner and the Banks house.

“They want to know that there’s work to be done,” Hodges said.

An ongoing relationship

By nature, downtown associations typically have limited budgets and small staff and rely heavily on volunteers.

If successful, Garner and GRA will have access to a network of statewide Main Street associations and technical counsel for advice on matters ranging from design specifications to recruitment of appropriate businesses.

“They can come in and look at what you’ve done to date and help you become more effective in your approach to planning for revitalization,” said Susan Weis, Fuquay’s downtown development director.

Weis said she has taken advantage of the help to develop a cohesive, long-term vision for the town’s two downtown districts. Fuquay’s relationship with the N.C. Main Street Center has existed mostly behind the scenes, but the public is beginning to see a payoff, Weis said.

“It is actually going to change the way things look in our downtown for years to come.”

The center’s goal is to immerse Main Street communities in the culture and principles of the program. For towns, this means learning the value of maintaining historic properties, seeing potential in outlying parcels and even understanding the role of parking to downtown businesses.

“We really give them the tools to get started in the right direction,” Parham said.

Perhaps the most valuable feature of the program is its cost – or lack thereof.

“The resources are essentially free,” Weis said. “Certainly you could pay a consultant, but that gets rather expensive for a nonprofit that may have a hard time raising money. …In these times especially, that does not make much sense.”

There are, however, some program costs. Because of state travel restrictions, communities are required to reimburse center employees for travel from Raleigh.

In Garner’s case, though, those costs would be low.

Parham says the center establishes an ongoing relationship with communities that can carry them from the original concept to a thriving district.

Though she declined to disclose Garner’s chances this year, the town’s downtown efforts appear to have made an impression. Parham says Hodges and others from town have had a consistent presence at workshops, conferences and trainings.

“I think that speaks volumes for the community’s interest,” she said.

Being a Main Street town

Not every town can qualify for the program. One requirement is having buildings that are more than 50 years old, Parham said. Cities also have to have populations under 50,000 and must also have a downtown development director.

But Parham says most important is an emphasis on historic preservation.

“That’s the common thread,” she said.

Hodges insists that Garner has most of the pieces in place, though he acknowledges that improving visibility and connectivity remains a challenge.

“We’ve got some logistical challenges,” he said. “You sort of have to know you’re going there to get there.”

Hodges says becoming a Main Street will pay off in other ways too. Relocating companies often consider a town’s downtown as an indicator of local government support.

Garner’s government has fully endorsed the Main Street concept. Two weeks ago the Town Council voted unanimously to support the application. Last month, the town allocated $75,000 to GRA as part of a three-year pledge.

A baby step

Local officials and advocates say the process should draw attention to the downtown area from residents and outsiders.

GRA has made inroads in raising downtown’s profile via a popular summer concert series and various other civic group events. The word, however, has not reached everyone.

“Some people who live here do not realize that we have a downtown,” Hodges said. He believes the application validates the progress that has been made in restoring Main Street, which dates back to the 1980s.

Mayor Ronnie Williams believes the town will one day have a vibrant downtown. For now, he remains patient.

“There is a lot of work to be done,” Williams said. “We knew going in that this was going to be a slow process. This is one more baby step.”

Related articles:

• Public can see initial plans for downtown Garner
• Have thoughts about the future of downtown Garner?
• Garner’s Main Street is official

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