On October 03, 2012, The American Planning Association (APA) announced
the designation of downtown Salisbury, North Carolina as one of 10 Great Neighborhoods for 2012
under the organization's Great Places in America program.
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Historic Salisbury Trolley Tours ~
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APA Great Places exemplify exceptional character and
highlight the role planning and planners play in adding value to communities,
including fostering economic growth and jobs. APA singled out Downtown
Salisbury for its 259-year history, architectural heritage, renewed physical
and cultural fabric, and seamless integration of residential, commercial and
retail uses. The diversity of offerings - shops, restaurants, live theaters,
galleries, trolley tours, and living history displays - delivers unique experiences for both
visitor and resident.
Downtown Salisbury is the second North Carolina neighborhood
- after New Bern's Middle Street - to win an APA Great Places award. Salisbury's
commitment to restoring and protecting the essence of its historic community
has been unwavering. These efforts
coupled with adaptive reuse and focus on public/private partnerships has fueled
growth and reinvestment that have made Salisbury's downtown a dynamic destination.
Through Great Places in America, APA recognizes streets,
neighborhoods, and public spaces featuring unique and authentic characteristics
that have evolved from years of thoughtful and deliberate planning by
residents, community leaders, and planners. The 2012 Great Places illustrate
how the foresight of planning fosters tomorrow's communities and they have many
of the features Americans say are important to their "ideal
community" including locally owned businesses, transit, neighborhood
parks, and sidewalks. Downtown Salisbury's journey from merely a government seat to a cultural and economic dynamo illustrates how planning with a vision
and steady follow-through can transform a neighborhood. Concerted and coordinated efforts during the
past four decades have given rise to a picturesque downtown Salisbury, full of
charm, character, and economic vitality.
Not content to sit on its laurels, Salisbury is looking to
renovate the c. 1855 Empire Hotel owned by Downtown Salisbury Inc., a nonprofit
redevelopment corporation. Commercial
space is currently available for rent in the Empire Hotel, right along S. Main
Street in Salisbury’s thriving retail district and across the street from City
Hall. Contact Greg Rapp (704.213.6846) for more info
regarding renting space, or for development opportunities for this grand
building and prime location in the center of the award-winning Downtown
Salisbury.
The tax base in downtown Salisbury's core increased from
$31.5 million in 1981 to $77.9 million in 2010, despite declines in one of the
city's historically important industries - textiles. Cultural and arts opportunities in downtown Salisbury rival
those found in larger cities. The neighborhood hosts 75 shops, 15 restaurants,
five museums, three theaters and a public library. The 2001 master plan vision of
creating a festival and entertainment area on Fisher Street and an arts
district in a largely abandoned warehouse district has been realized.
Contributions of city boards and commissions, as well as
guiding principles laid out in ordinances and planning documents that have
shaped the city's "progressive trajectory”. Private property owners have
invested generously in the downtown, and volunteers have logged thousands of
hours to help make the neighborhood a center for business, entertainment,
culture, government, and soon education, with the coming Rowan-Salisbury Schools Central Office.
Click HERE to download a copy of the Salisbury Success Story. Call Greg Rapp at 704.213.6846 for your own Salisbury Success Story! Opportunity abounds to make one of Salisbury's downtown buildings your award winning location. Tune back in here at www.realestatesalisbury.net to hear more about adaptive reuse opportunities in Downtown Salisbury, North Carolina!
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