Downtown Salisbury Inc.

October 2009

Mission Statement

  "Downtown Salisbury, Inc. will promote, enhance and manage the development of the central business district in a manner which will make the district the economic, governmental, social and cultural center of Rowan County. We will address the needs of impacting neighborhoods and businesses within and adjacent to the Municipal Service District.  We will accomplish the above by promoting activity in historic preservation, economic restructuring, design, promotions and building partnerships."

Promotions Committee 

     The DSI Promotions Committee, along with Tourism Development Authority Director James Meacham, is busy working with Miller Davis Agency on a design for a billboard located on I-85 southbound, near the intersection of the interstate and Hwy. 52.  The sign has great read-time, a full 12 seconds heading south from both I-85 and Hwy. 52.  The TDA has generously agreed to pay for half the year-long rental fees as well as the design.  Look for it soon! 

Public Art Committee 

     A collaborative effort between the Public Art Committee, the Salisbury Tree Board and the Community Appearance Commission is now reality --  Cotton Mills Corner, located at Church and Fisher Streets, has been transformed from a nondescript 53-space parking lot into a public art installation complete with planted areas with benches, nine new shade trees, and a serpentine wall with clay tiles that depict the history of the textile industry and were created by elementary students representing Rowan Salisbury Schools, private schools, and homeschooled students.  A group of middle school students assisted in the tree planting.  The installation provided a holistic educational opportunity for students that combined history, art, urban forestry and design.  A public dedication is planned for November 21.

     The planning for the second annual Salisbury Sculpture Show: Discover What's Outside is in full swing.  The announcement of the 2010 show has been sent to local and regional artists and requests for information have already been received.  The deadline for artist submittals is November 20; announcement of selections will be December 18; and the 2010 exhibition dates will be April 1-December 31.  The current show will be up until December 31. 

www.salisburysculpture.com  

     The Sparks Circus marker dedication was held Friday, October 9 at the Yadkin Hotel, corner of Council & Depot Streets; "showtime" was at 4:00 p.m.  More than 300 people turned out to enjoy the sounds and tastes of the circus as calliope music filled the air and peanuts, popcorn and Cheerwine flowed freely.  The Sparks World-Famous Shows wintered in Salisbury 1910-1919.  The marker, installed on the Yadkin House building, features a likeness of Sparks Circus season pass once owned by the Graf family of Salisbury; the original pass was presented to the Rowan Museum by Germaine Bundy Beard Whitaker during the dedication.  For more information on the Sparks Circus, see

http://www.salisburypost.com/Area/100409-sparks-circus-wineka-column.

DSI Annual Meeting Report

     Downtown Salisbury, Inc. was proud to host its 29th Annual Meeting on September 24th at Uncle Bucks All American Pub & Grub.  In addition to the fabulous hospitality offered by our hosts, we were pleased to present our 2008-09 annual report, which included the information that this fiscal year marked the surpassing of the $100 million dollar mark in cumulative investment for downtown Salisbury. 

     Guests were taken on a special pre-renovation tour of the Empire Hotel; Empire Properties Managing Partner Greg Hatem was on hand to answer questions.  We also awarded the following Certificates of Appreciation:
 
Ted & Cheryl Goins - renovation of 101 S. Main St.
Brad Walser - renovation of 108 S. Main St.
John Casey - renovation of 122 E. Fisher St.
Toby Hagmaier - renovation of 102 S. Main St.
NCDOT Rail Division - renovation of Salisbury Passenger Station Platform, 215 Depot St.
Rowan County - renovation of Rowan County Justice Center
Clay Lindsay & Jake Alexander - renovation of 120 E. Council St.
F&M Bank - Top Hat sponsorship of "Lord Salisbury Celebrates..." events
Cheerwine Bottling Co. - Top Hat sponsorship of "Lord Salisbury Celebrates..." events
Food Lion - Top Hat sponsorship of "Lord Salisbury Celebrates..." events
Wallace & Graham, PA - Top Hat sponsorship of "Lord Salisbury Celebrates..." events
Rowan Regional Medical Center - Top Hat sponsorship of "Lord Salisbury Celebrates..." events
Duke Energy - Monocle sponsorship of "Lord Salisbury Celebrates..." events
Innes Street Drug Co. - Monocle sponsorship of "Lord Salisbury Celebrates..." events
Salisbury Post - Monocle sponsorship of "Lord Salisbury Celebrates..." events
Ben Mynatt Nissan - Monocle sponsorship of "Lord Salisbury Celebrates..." events
Public Art Committee - coordination of 1st Annual Salisbury Sculpture Show
Edward & Susan Norvell - contribution to the 1st Annual Salisbury Sculpture Show
Soldiers Memorial AME Zion Church - construction of parking lot, corner of Church & Liberty
City of Salisbury - construction of parking lot, corner of Church & Liberty
Rowan County - construction of parking lot, corner of Church & Liberty

Brian Miller - Director of the Year
Tom Wolpert - Volunteer of the Year
Salisbury High AFJROTC NC-20069 - support of 2008-09 downtown events
Marietta Smith - Director of Rowan Arts Council and host of Art on Easy Street
Officer Patrick Smith - Downtown Police Officer and coordinating event security
Eleanor Qadirah - Founder of Annual Rowan Blues & Jazz Festival
Gary "Bigfoot" Carter - coordinator of Friday Night Out Classic Car Shows
Brian Moore - Trolley Driver for Friday Night Out events
Chanaka Yatawara - outstanding service as member of DSI Board of Directors, 2002-09

Downtown Salisbury Master Plan Update 

     Thanks to all of the people who gave their time and talent toward the Master Plan Update. After 2 meetings and several committee meetings, we have a draft of the strategies and Goals!  Please keep in mind that what you see below is still in draft form. The committee has also begun working on map revisions to make our map match our strategies and goals. There will be an upcoming opportunity for meaningful public input on the map once the most apparent revisions are made. Please review the strategies below and feel free to offer comments on the progress of the plan. Email comments to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and watch for the announcement for the upcoming meeting.
 
Strategy One
A Place to Experience History
 
Downtown Salisbury is the foremost historic center of the Piedmont, a place where residents and visitors experience over 250 years of history through architecture and creative interpretation.
 
·         Strengthen ties to surrounding neighborhoods and support their continued development        
·         Install historically inspired interpretative and informative public art 
·         Publicize our history through tours, marketing and products that brand the community
·         Commemorate McCay Law Office/Andrew Jackson
·         Develop Confederate Prison Interpretive Center
·         Reconstruct Presbyterian bell tower
·         Designate an organization to lead cultural/history development
·         Implement interpretive markers for historic tour routes
·         Reopen the Empire Hotel as a historic hotel
·         Expand hours for house museums and Grimes Mill
·         Organize special weekend tour packages: churches, African-American history, Civil War, etc.
·         Develop storytelling, dramatization of Salisbury history
 
Strategy Two
A Place of Lasting Impressions
 
Downtown Salisbury is becoming known throughout the region as a premier place to visit, shop, live, and work.
 
·         Create an attractive, pedestrian friendly area with good safe sidewalks, benches, and nightscape lighting
·         Improve vehicular accessibility while maintaining a pedestrian friendly atmosphere
·         Create informative, well designed signage for pedestrians and motorists
·         Create well defined entrances to the downtown
·         Maintain the Downtown as a safe place to live, work, and play (Item to be moved to Strategy 4, A Place to Shop and Dine)
 
 
Strategy Three
A Place of Business
 
Downtown Salisbury is the largest, most diversified employment center in Rowan County and will continue to attract new jobs and investment.
 
·         Form a cooperative recruitment effort for major employers including DSI/EDC/Chamber
·         Expand center city development outward and include adequate amenities such as parks/common space
·         Construct parking deck, south of Innes Street and east of Main Street
·         Enact a commercial maintenance code with proper enforcement for the downtown
·         Update the business recruitment package
·         Create a "How to Start a Business in Downtown Salisbury" brochure
·         Improve pedestrian connections to parking (alleys and mid block cross walks)
·         Assemble targeted sites for future office development
 
 
Strategy Four
A Place to Shop & Dine & Play
 
Downtown Salisbury is a successful retail, dining, and entertainment center for both residents and visitors.  Our success is based on a unique collection of businesses that offer quality goods and personal service, a quality pedestrian environment in an authentic historic setting, and retaining our role as the center for community activities, entertainment, and events.
 
·         Construct public restrooms in a central location
·         Create and implement integrated regional marketing strategy  
·         Create mid-block crosswalks to encourage safe pedestrian movement
·         Encourage customer friendly, uniform business hours
·         Increase short term parking availability
·         Improve maintenance of sidewalks, alleys and parking areas
·         Complete intersection improvements for pedestrians
·         Targeted retail recruitment (ongoing)
 
 
Strategy Five
A Place to Live
 
Downtown Salisbury is a lively urban residential district with retail, dining, parks, and other amenities that work together to serve its growing 24-hour population.
 
·         Maintain the Downtown as a diverse, lively urban residential district that serves a growing 24-hour population
·         Expand diverse, livable and safe residential housing stock within a larger radius
·         Develop a railroad greenway/arboretum
·         Encourage business growth to provide services and conveniences that meet the needs of downtown residents
 
 
Strategy Six
A Place to Gather as a Community
 
Downtown is the heart of Salisbury and Rowan County - the place where people gather as a community to celebrate their shared history, culture, and values.
 
·         Create a large indoor assembly space downtown
·         Create a special events committee to oversee and organize signature festivals and niche events
·         Create a large green space in a central location to serve as a multipurpose park and outdoor assembly area.
·         Relocate parking in front of Depot and build Station Square gathering space
·         Study and recommend alternative routes for trucks
 
 
Strategy Seven
A Place to Create & Learn
 
Downtown Salisbury is achieving regional prominence as an arts and cultural center by developing and promoting a multitude of arts businesses and activities.
 
·         Increase college participation & student involvement in all programs and activities
·         Publicize the genealogy resource at the main branch of the Rowan Co. Public Library     
·         Create a public arts school program in downtown Salisbury
·         Encourage high schools and colleges to create downtown learning centers which provide a "living classroom experience"
·         Become a regional leader in promoting and educating the public concerning the connection between historic preservation and environmental sustainability.

DSI Board of Directors 

Paula Bohland, President

Dr. Grant Harrison, Vice President

Greg Shields, Secretary

John Ketner, Treasurer

Greg Anderson

Pete Bogle

Raymond Coltrain

Glenda Dyson

Paul Fisher

Bill Greene

Dick Huffman

Mark Lewis

James Meacham

Brian Miller

Joe Morris

Rick Parker

Jack Thomson

Christine Wilson

Teross Young