News & Media

The Downtown Statesville Development Corporation Releases Its 2023-24 Annual Report

Provided by Doug Hendrix, Board Chairman, Downtown Statesville Development Corporation

Founded in 1982, the Downtown Statesville Development Corporation is one of 81 Main Street Communities in North Carolina, and 1600 communities nationally, tasked to implement the Main Street Program. What is the Main Street program? The Main Street Program is a community-based revitalization initiative that aims to strengthen the economies of historic downtown commercial districts. After all, we only have one downtown. Downtown is the heart of Statesville. A vibrant downtown says a lot about a community. Malls and shopping centers come and go. Statesville has a vibrant downtown that is constantly evolving and changing… as it has for more than 200 years.

Purpose The program’s goal is to improve Statesville’s quality of life, to create a resilient local economy, and advance shared local prosperity and wealth.

History The National Trust for Historic Preservation established the Main Street Program in 1980 to address the challenges facing older downtowns using a four-point approach- Organization, promotion, design, and economic vitality.

Resources The State and National programs offer resources to Statesville such as a digital library, professional development, on-the-ground training, and a list serve of the collective wisdom of eighty-one North Carolina communities.

Approach Locally, our program’s framework is adaptable and practical and can be tailored to our local conditions.

Name The Main Street program gets its name from the common name for the main commercial street located in practically all small communities in the US (Think CS Lewis).

What does it take for the Downtown Statesville Development Corporation to be a Main Street Program community?

  • Community commitment: Communities must have strong support from the public and private sectors for revitalization.
  • Leadership: Communities must have inclusive leadership and organizational capacity.
  • Funding: Communities must have diversified funding and sustainable program operations.
  • Programming: Communities must have strategy-driven programming.
  • Economic development: Communities must have preservation-based economic development.
  • Impact: Communities must demonstrate impact and results.
  • Work plan: Communities must have a comprehensive Main Street work plan.
  • Historic preservation: Communities must have an historic preservation ethic.
  • Board and committees: Communities must have an active board of directors and committees.
  • Budget: Communities must have an adequate operating budget.
  • Program manager: Communities must have a paid, full time professional program manager whose only job is to implement the Main Street Program.
  • Staff and volunteer training: Communities must conduct ongoing training for staff and volunteers.
  • Reporting: Communities must report key statistics.

In addition, communities must work with their Coordinating Program (North Carolina Main Street NCMS), and complete an annual Community Self-Assessment, in addition to participating in an onsite Community Progress visit.

You can read the full report of the impact from this vibrant downtown here…                                                                                                                                                                            Downtown Statesville’s Annual Report