As the vibrant economic hub of Roanoke Valley, this is the place to live, work, and play. Improving economic management, strengthening public participation and making downtown a fun place to visit are as critical to Main Street's future as recruiting new businesses, rehabilitating buildings and expanding events.
The Main Street Program is administered through the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The NC Department of Commerce's Four-Point Approach to the Main Street Program offers a comprehensive commercial district revitalization strategy that has been successful in towns and cities nationwide. The following four elements create a well-balanced program:
Organization, Promotion, Design,
Economic Vitality
Thursday’s Arts on the Avenue will showcase the work of some 20 artists, photographers, singers and musicians as well as give the public a view of the 1026 Roanoke Avenue green space.
The green space, Main Street Development Director Christina Caudle said today, is open. All that remains is installation of the water feature in the summer and finishing the paint job on the front of the facade.
Lights have been strung and murals by local artist Napoleon Hill have been hung.
Main Street America™ has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for more than 35 years. Today it is a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Roanoke Rapids is a North Carolina Main Street community, designated by the N.C. Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning Center. Main Street Roanoke Rapids is charged with administering the program at the local level and building public-private partnerships to spur economic development that achieves measurable results such as investment, business growth, and job creation.