LAURINBURG — Terry Parker couldn’t have made the future of downtown Laurinburg look any brighter, even if she were carrying a spotlight.
Parker spoke to the Rotary Club on Tuesday, giving the membership a peek into what 2020 holds for the downtown business district. More specifically, to start, she talked about the green space along Railroad Street.
She said the underground utilities were buried in the fall and the city has received bids on the paving — all of which came in under budget. That work is expected to begin next week.
“We are hoping Laurinburg After 5 can use that space, as well as other community events,” Parker said. “I think it will be really pretty and a real asset to the community.”
She then ventured into other downtown projects, some of which are already underway. Those include plans to have a charging station for electric cars.
“That will be a real economic impact for the city, because while people are getting their vehicles charged, which takes about two hours, they will surely take a walk downtown to shop and eat,” Parker said. “There aren’t any towns nearby with charging stations, so it will be a boost for us.”
Parker also talked about the feasibility study done by students with UNCG’s School of Government recently on the old Firestone building. She said the building is fully gutted and roof work is underway.
“The city is becoming much more proactive by not letting buildings sit vacant ver5y long,” she said. “I think 2020 will see a lot of positive change.”
Parker also stated that the former Art By Design building will soon have a new tenant; she also talked about how the city received a Brownsville Grant that helped to identify polluted areas and areas that needed cleaning up. She said the city is prioritizing those areas now.
Parker went on to tout how the city has received about $700,000 in public and private funding in 2019, which she said is more than any year in the past 15. She also said the city was selected as just one of eight in the state to get an economic impact study through Main Street, and that report will be part of the organization’s national magazine.
Locally, Parker said a tracking on eight downtown businesses has revealed an 11% increased in business between 2018 and 2019.
“There is a lot more downtown now than most people realize — but we know we need more food and beverage tenants, and there is a lot of recruiting going on,” she said.
“The only obstacle to our downtown moving forward at warp speed is absentee ownership,” Parker concluded. “We have some buildings owned by people out of state who have no commitment to the downtown — but that will soon be addressed.”
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or cvincent@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.
