.png)
Tuesday Schedule
9:00am - 5:30pm | Registration
Welcome to Day 1 of the 2023 NC Main Street Conference
Registration is located inside the Civic Center, in front of the beautiful mural wall. During registration you will receive your packet with all of your conference materials. If you registered for the Welcome Reception, Awards Dinner and Ceremony, and/or the Champion Recognition Ceremony, your event tickets and your drink tickets will be in the back of your name tag.
Make sure you say hello to Sharon - She has missed you!
Location
Statesville Civic Center
9:00am - 1:00pm | Shop & Explore
Downtown Statesville
We can’t wait to wow you with our beautiful historic architecture, incredible streetscape, public art and our distinctive vibe.
Built over 2 centuries ago, on the business of whiskey, medicinal roots and herbs, we are proud to be the quintessential North Carolina community in the middle of one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
Dine, Shop, DISCOVER Downtown Statesville!
9:45am - 10:30am | Downtown Toolkit Sessions
#1
Creating and Implementing a Vacant Building Policy
Toolkit Session
Commercial buildings that once housed vibrant small businesses were revenue generators for the business owner and the local government. But what happens when the building goes dark? Empty, partially vacant, or underutilized buildings contribute to blight, discourage economic development, diminish property values and rental rates, and are a potential fire hazard and magnet for crime. Across the nation, municipalities are creating ordinances that require owners to register their vacant buildings and properties and maintain them to minimum standards. In this session, you will hear from two community leaders that created and implemented a Vacant Building Registry. This session will equip you with a tool for addressing challenging buildings in your downtown.
Presenters:
Robert Davie, Town Administrator, Town of Warrenton
Stephen Smith, Assistant Town Manager, Town of Ayden
Location
Statesville Civic Center
Rooms A,B,C
#2
Thinking About Main Street?
Toolkit Session
Is downtown revitalization a top priority for your community? If the answer is yes, then the NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center’s Downtown Associate Community program may be a good fit for your town or city. North Carolina municipalities with an identifiable traditional downtown business district and a population under 50,000, that are not already designated as an active Main Street or Small Town Main Street community, have the opportunity to apply for the Center’s Downtown Associate Community (DAC) program. Selected communities will receive two years of downtown revitalization services and may have the opportunity to move up to Main Street designation upon completion of the DAC program. This information session will provide attendees with the benefits and requirements of the program and outline the application process.
Presenters:
Sherry Adams, Program Manager, Main Street Program, NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center
Charles Halsall, Jr., Coordinator, Downtown Programming and Technical Assistance,
NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center
Location
Statesville Civic Center
Room D
#3
Do You Know Your Downtown?
Toolkit Session
Do you have a thorough knowledge of your downtown boundaries, buildings, available square footage, property owners, average rental rate per square foot, and other pertinent facts about your district? These items are vital elements of your downtown toolkit. Downtown Development Specialist Mike Dougherty is joined by Main Street Directors in Murphy, Manteo, and Pilot Mountain, to discuss what information you must know to be a successful Downtown Director.
Presenters:
Mike Dougherty, Downtown Development Specialist, NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center
Laura Lachance, Downtown Director, Town of Murphy
Michelle Bunce, Program Manager, Town of Manteo
Jenny Kindy, Pilot Mountain Main Street Coordinator, Town of Pilot Mountain
Location
Statesville Civic Center
Room E
#4
What’s in Your Preservation Toolkit?
Toolkit Session
Main Street is economic development within the context of Historic Preservation. That is not just a tagline, it one of the eight guiding principles, the foundation, of the Main Street program. Does your community have the tools in place to assure best preservation practices are occurring? Is your downtown on the National Register of Historic Places? Do you have locally designated landmarks or districts? Do you have a Historic Preservation Commission, and is your city or county a Certified Local Government? Do you know how to utilize historic tax credits? If you answered NO to any of these questions, this session will help you build your preservation toolkit to run an effective Main Street program.
Presenters:
Kristi Brantley, Coordinator, Certified Local Government, Local Historic Preservation Commission, NC State Historic Preservation Office
Connie Kincaid, Business Development Manager, Alexander County Economic Development Commission
Lizzie Morrison, Coordinator, Mount Airy Downtown, Mount Airy Downtown, Inc.
Location
Statesville Civic Center
Civic Media Room
10:30am - 11:00am | Time with Exhibitors | Break
EX
Time to Develop Relationships
Conference week is a crucial time to learn about products and services that will help with your downtown revitalization and community development efforts. Please be sure to visit each exhibitor during the conference. They will be able to share ideas and products with you that will help you with your next downtown project!
Location
Statesville Civic Center
11:00am - 11:45am | Downtown Toolkit Sessions
#5
How Can Main Street Programs Leverage CDFIs
Toolkit Session
A Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) provides financial resources and services to underserved markets. This is a resource that is often untapped or underutilized by Main Street programs. In this session, two leading North Carolina CDFI’s will present how these institutions operate and structure loans, and how Main Street organizations can leverage CDFI partnerships to bring place-making economic development initiatives in downtown districts to fruition.
Presenters:
Jasper Jones, Relationship Manager, NC Rural Center
Camila Molina, Loan Officer, Thread Capital
Christine Laucher, Southwestern Regional Manager, Mountain Bizworks
Location
Statesville Civic Center
Civic Media Room
#6
Understanding How Municipal Service Districts Work
Toolkit Session
Considering implementing a Municipal Service District (MSD) or you have one and still unsure as to what you can and can’t do? This session is designed to help communities with or without a Municipal Service District to better understand how they can be used, how to implement and the legislative language that a community must be aware of following.
Presenters:
Erin Fonseca, Downtown Development Director, Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation
Erin Gilley, City Attorney, City of Eden
Jeff Emory, Community Economic Development Planner, NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center
Bruce Naegelen, Community Economic Development Planner, NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center
Location
Statesville Civic Center
Room D
#7
Mapping Your Assets for Economic Development
Toolkit Session
Your downtown may not be known for its recreational, cultural, or social assets, but have you ever taken the time to map out where your assets are and how they intersect to your downtown district? You may have more assets than you suspect, either in downtown or within walking distance of the district. What can you do to leverage these assets into economic growth opportunities? This session will walk you through how mapping your recreational and cultural assets can help you connect the dots to leverage more dollars for downtown.
Presenter:
Glen Locascio, GIS Specialist, NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center
Location
Statesville Civic Center
Room E
#8
Social Districts 101
Toolkit Session
In late 2021, the NC General Assembly approved social districts, allowing alcoholic beverages to be purchased in one business and carried outside in a designated area of downtown. This bill was in response to the hospitality industry being one of the hardest impacted by COVID-19. Several North Carolina Main Street communities have approved social districts, but many questions remain about how to best implement this opportunity. This session will highlight the legislation and the lessons learned from North Carolina communities that have implemented social district ordinances.
Presenters:
Jason Epley, Executive Director, NC Downtown Development Association
Andy Ellen, President and General Counsel, NC Retail Merchants Association
Kim Atkins, Executive Director, Downtown Mooresville Commission
Sada Troutman, Downtown Development Director, Downtown Salisbury, Inc.
Bernadette Peters, Main Street Economic Development Director, Town of Sylva
Location
Statesville Civic Center
Rooms A,B,C
11:45am - 1:00pm | Time with Exhibitors | Lunch
EX
Time to Develop Relationships
Conference week is a crucial time to learn about products and services that will help with your downtown revitalization and community development efforts. Please be sure to visit each exhibitor during the conference. They will be able to share ideas and products with you that will help you with your next downtown project!
Location
Statesville Civic Center
1:00pm - 2:15pm | Break-Out Sessions
#1
Leveraging the Main to Main Trail
Break-Out Session
From the Great Smokies and the Blue Ridge Mountains, the urban growth of the Piedmont, to the eastern inner banks to the coastal plains, Main Street communities are destinations. The NC Main to Main Trail leads you through the state’s designated Main Street communities, highlighting each town’s best downtown and outdoor experiences. This session will follow the trail through five communities in the Southwest region of the state and will walk through the itineraries that they have created to leverage the Main to Main Trail for enhanced downtown visitor traffic.
Presenters:
Kyle Case, ARC Community Economic Development Planner, NC Appalachian Regional Commission
Amy Suggs, Community Economic Development Planner, NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center
Location
Statesville Civic Center
Civic Media Room
#2
The Power of the Façade
Break-Out Session
The front façade of a downtown building yields a lot of power for a small business owner, for the owner of the building, and for the district. A well-designed façade can provide tremendous curb appeal that gets customers to walk through the front door and explore the goods and services that a small business offers. Facade improvements are not just beautification, they are a tool for economic development, which can mean the difference in leasing or selling a building for a downtown property owner. And for the district, the façade of the building tells the story of the architectural style of the era and the craftsmen that lived in the community and built the building, and the collection of the buildings tells the story of the streetscape. The UNCG Main Street Fellows will present design projects from across the state, for both simple and architecturally significant buildings, that are leveraging retail sales, investment, and business growth for Main Street communities.
Presenters:
Travis Lee Hicks, Director, Main Street Fellows Program, UNC Greensboro
Kara Harding, Main Street Fellow, UNC Greensboro
Estefania Gonzalez-Reyes, Main Street Fellow, UNC Greensboro
Jordan McCracken, Main Street Fellow, UNC Greensboro
Location
Statesville Civic Center
Room E
#3
Celebrating North Carolina’s Year of the Trail!
Break-Out Session
The NC Legislature has declared 2023 North Carolina’s Year of the Trail, highlighting an opportunity to showcase, promote, and celebrate our state’s extensive trail systems. The Year of the Trail initiative is led by the Great Trails State Coalition, a group of over 50 organizations working to build more opportunities for hiking, biking, walking, running, paddling, and horseback riding across the Tar Heel State. How can your community benefit from this campaign? Where do the trails intersect with your downtown revitalization initiatives? This informative session will provide you with the tools and resources to leverage and maximize this opportunity for your community.
Presenters:
Catherine Swain, Marketing Director, NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Palmer McIntyre, Director, NC Year of the Trail; Coordinator, NC Great Trails State Coalition; Conservation Planner, Piedmont Land Conservancy
Location
Twisted Oak
121 N. Center Street, Suite 104, Statesville
#4
Oh Dear, We Need a Volunteer
Break-Out Session
One of the top challenges often conveyed by Main Street programs is the need for more engaged volunteers, but what are the board members and staff really doing to cultivate volunteerism? Volunteer development is more than just asking someone to serve on the board or a committee. This session will offer attendees tried and true methods to RECRUIT, TRAIN, MANAGE and CELEBRATE the people that are giving your Main Street program their time and talents. The NC Main Street Program staff has more than 65 years of Main Street experience and have worked with more than 100 communities on developing effective volunteer programs to build diversity, to celebrate community culture, and to transform downtown through economic development strategies that leverage investment, business growth and job creation.
Presenters:
Liz Parham, Director, Main Street & Rural Planning Center
Sherry Adams, Program Manager, NC Main Program, NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center,
Location
Statesville Civic Center
Rooms A,B,C
#5
Avoid the Frying Pan with a Masterplan!
Break-Out Session
Do you feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or maybe FRIED? Do you feel like you work hard every day, but you can’t see any long-lasting accomplishments? You need a Masterplan to guide your daily work, focus your board and streamline your funding so you start seeing real investment and long- lasting projects. Many people think hiring the right firm to lead the Master planning process is the first step, but it’s not. Learn how to not only create a Masterplan but complete the goals and tasks set out in the plan, and generate millions in investment, job creation and new business development in the process!
Presenters:
Sharon Jablonski, Director of Cultural and Creative Development, City of Morganton
Abby Nelson, Main Street Manager, City of Morganton
Location
Statesville Civic Center
Room D
2:15pm - 2:45pm | Time with Exhibitors | Break
EX
Time to Develop Relationships
Conference week is a crucial time to learn about products and services that will help with your downtown revitalization and community development efforts. Please be sure to visit each exhibitor during the conference. They will be able to share ideas and products with you that will help you with your next downtown project!
Location
Statesville Civic Center
2:45pm - 3:15pm | Liz Parham
Opening Remarks
3:15pm - 4:00pm | Brent Leggs
Keynote Address
The Power of Community Preservation
Keynote
Historic Preservation is the foundation of the Main Street program, but it is also a tool for social and cultural inclusion that plays a significant role in the development of programming in downtown revitalization and community preservation. The local Main Street program can tell the full story of your community’s history through entrepreneurs, artists, and civic leaders. This engaging session will encourage your community leaders to look at all their most unique natural, community, and built environment assets and how to preserve and tell the story for future growth and development.
Presenter:
Brent Leggs, Founding Executive Director, African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Location
Statesville Civic Center
DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
4:00pm - 4:30pm | Time with Exhibitors | Break
EX
Time to Develop Relationships
Conference week is a crucial time to learn about products and services that will help with your downtown revitalization and community development efforts. Please be sure to visit each exhibitor during the conference. They will be able to share ideas and products with you that will help you with your next downtown project!
Location
Statesville Civic Center
4:30pm - 5:15pm | Brandi Horton
Keynote Address
Communities Thrive at the Intersection of Outdoor Infrastructure and Downtown
Keynote
In towns and cities across the country, communities are inspired by the potential to reimagine public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors. They’re motivated by the far-reaching economic, health, environmental and social benefits that strategic investments in outdoor infrastructure can deliver to people and places. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the nation’s largest trails and active transportation advocacy organization, is working to lift up and replicate the success of places that are thriving because they’re leveraging outdoor infrastructure and trail systems as tools to center quality of life in their economic development strategies. During this session, you’ll learn about these places alongside the research that proves what is possible when connected trail systems are at the heart of communities of every size.
Presenter:
Brandi Horton, Vice President of Communications, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Location
Statesville Civic Center
5:15pm - 6:45pm
Welcome Reception with Exhibitors
6:45pm
Dinner on Your Own
Wednesday Schedule
7:30am - 5:00pm | Registration
Welcome to Day 2 of the 2023 NC Main Street Conference
If this is your first day at the conference, registration is located inside the Civic Center, in front of the beautiful mural wall. During registration you will receive your packet with all of your conference materials. If you registered for the Awards Dinner and Ceremony, and/or the Champion Recognition Ceremony, your event tickets and your drink tickets will be in the back of your name tag.
Make sure you say hello to Sharon - She has missed you!
Location
Statesville Civic Center