Rocky Mount opens new downtown development office amid effort to grow city center
The city of Rocky Mount has opened a new downtown development office as part of an ongoing effort to build up the area.
Posted — UpdatedCity leaders say 2022 brought more housing and new businesses to downtown Rocky Mount, but there’s still work to do to help the city center reach its full potential.
Two weeks ago, Troy Davis opened the Main Street Gastropub.
The Rocky Mount native told WRAL News an upscale restaurant was one of the things downtown has been missing.
“Just seeing those pictures and those moments in my head of how active our downtown used to be, I wanted to get it back to that point,” Davis said.
He’s not doing it alone.
On December 1, the city opened its new Downtown Development Office.
Rocky Mount Downtown Development Manager Kevin Harris said the space would serve as a gathering place for business owners, and help the city direct resources to people looking to invest in the area.
“To see what’s happening around us and what’s needed around us, and to be more responsive,” Harris said.
City leaders told WRAL News their two biggest priorities for downtown have been building more housing and creating new businesses.
In 2022, the city said the number of downtown apartments rose to 149, with 200 more units in planning stages as of December 1.
Developers also told WRAL News there were 12 bars and restaurants in downtown Rocky Mount at the start of this year, and that number was set to nearly double to 20 by June 2023.
“It’s a lot of movement,” Harris said. “A lot of movement.”
There’s still work to do: the city told WRAL News about 1 in 3 downtown storefronts remained vacant.
In response, Harris said the city has offered a new assessment grant that would pay to improve stagnant buildings.
The city has also launched a new social media campaign called “Experience Downtown Rocky Mount” to draw people into the area, hoping to make the city center the place to be once again.
“It’s awesome to see this amount of momentum happening in downtown Rocky Mount,” Davis said.
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