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By Kathy Bethune Executive Director, Wilson Downtown Development Corporation Efforts for economic development strategies for downtown Wilson are simple - our mission is to return downtown to a pedestrian district which reflects the City’s identity through its history and traditions. We are positioned to create a downtown community offering residential, pro fessional, retail and service opportu nities. Gathering places and green space are also an important compo nent in this strategy. Downtown experienced three ma jor blows which took the life out of the heart of our city. With the opening of Parkwood Mall, the sprawl of Wal- Mart and the development of the Brentwood Shopping Center, down town saw a decline in all types of eco nomic and social activity. This was the time when many downtown busi nesses were looking for new and dif ferent location opportunities, while a handful of businesses stayed settled in their downtown location to wait out the storm. Without creating any new strate gies, our economic development plan is responding to the needs of the peo ple by recruiting and enhancing serv ices for the pedestrian traffic generat ed from the daytime workforce popu lation and the many strong down town anchors. At the same time, we are building additional anchors like the Paul V. Berry Hickory Grove Com memorative Park, the Whirligig Park, public art and other public improve ment projects, including the pro posed business incubation in the for mer Beld building. Downtown economic development is driven by the basic notion that the Central Business District is an attrac tive real estate investment. With the existing infrastructure, historic archi tecture, established anchors, low pur chase prices and tax credits available, downtown Wilson is clearly a smart place to do business. Look at the numbers. There is an approximate daytime population of 10,000 that work within a one-mile ra dius of the Wilson County Court house. We count over 400,000 people annually in downtown because of city and county services, the Wilson Train Station, Imagination Station, the Arts Council, the Boykin Center, the Pro- Music Center, and the Public Library or engaging in commerce with the downtown businesses. New developers are being seen. Wilson physician, Lindsey de Gue hery and his son James have begun work on the renovation of the former Drake Theater located on Tarboro Street. They will also begin work on the Hackney Building which is at the corner of Douglas and Nash Streets, a building with deep history for the Wil son community. Raleigh real estate developer, Tae Park, has just purchased 110 West Nash Street located next door to the Boykin Theater and is making plans to repair and renovate the building bringing it back to its original grandeur. Gaynell Stallings, a former historic Savannah and Annapolis resident, is the new owner to a historic home lo cated across the street from the Wil son Public Library on Jackson Street with plans to convert it to commercial use. All of these properties will be creat ed into gathering places, restaurants and/or retail space. The upper floors will be renovated for use as the mar ket changes and the demand is there. Historic preservation takes time. Projects may move quickly, some will move in phases, and others will look like they aren’t making any progress at all. But the important fact is that downtown is changing and the dead ly storm of neglect is coming to an end. Our buildings reflect who we are. The projects created by preservation developers make these individuals heroes. Whether the developer has a professional background or is a local citizen that values historic properties and enjoys the downtown experi ence, they all have a vision. They break a project into tasks and tackle each section one at a time. They see the end first. City planning, neighborhood devel opment and community growth come from many sources. The Wilson Downtown Development Corpora tion and Wilson Downtown Proper ties, Inc. together support and en courage property improvement and preservation development. Call 252- 399-2395 for additional information on Downtown Development or email at downtownwilson@bbnp.com. The former Drake Theater, located on Tarboro Street WDDC 110 West Nash Street WDDC 108 S. Jackson St. WDDC Hackney Building at the corner of Douglas and Nash Streets WDDC
Newspaper Details
Wilson Daily Times
Wilson, North Carolina, US
Sat, May 21, 2005
Page 51
Full Page
Clipped by
Tracey B.
NC, USA 21 Jun 2026
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