Person Street hopes to see revitalization

"It's tremendous," said Sheilagh Duncan, owner of the restaurant Piebird. "People come and investigate and say, 'I wouldn't have discovered it without First Friday.'"

Duncan opened the restaurant in March.

"There's so much possibility here, and right now, it's a little isolated and desolate. The one-way street really doesn't help," Duncan said.

She said having well-established neighborhoods, like Fayetteville Street, in walking distance has been a huge advantage.

"That was my goal when I opened this place – to make this a neighborhood place – and that's exactly what it's turned into," Duncan said. "I'm really proud of that."

The Person Street Partnership is working to promote the street and partnered with North Carolina State University architecture students to develop revitalization ideas. A reception is planned from 6 to 9 p.m. on Person Street to review some of the ideas.

A gym and the Raleigh City Farm also plan to fill up some of the empty space on the street.

Duncan said she would like to see North Person Street be a two-way street and have the R-line bus stop closer to her corner of Raleigh to make the street a more integrated part of the downtown area.

"It's just going to take some time too," Duncan said.