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Heart of Salisbury
2021 NC Main Street Award: Organization
Best Public-Private Partnership in Downtown
Wellness & Arts Properties, LLC
The Bogle Firm Architecture, PLLC
LMY, Inc.
Central Piedmont Builders
City of Salisbury
Heart of Salisbury is a 5,000-square-foot wellness destination located in the former Flowers Bakery Building at 120 East Innes Street in downtown Salisbury. Best described as a wellness incubator, the facility includes seven affordable office suites for wellness professionals; studios and art galleries used for yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, and belly dance; a demonstration kitchen for cooking classes; and a retail shop with local and fair trade goods. The concept for the project was to create a self-sustaining wellness complex where professionals have affordable rent, local artists have a space to exhibit and sell their artwork, new chefs have a place to connect with the community, and yogis have a community space, surrounded by artwork, to practice and teach. The Heart of Salisbury’s mission is to “help build a healthy community by giving individuals access to affordable yoga classes, professional wellness services, mindfulness education, food education, and art appreciation.” It is a synergistic model that utilizes a rehabilitated industrial setting to bring wellness professionals and clients to downtown Salisbury.
Local professionals, including The Bogle Firm Architecture; Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit consultant, LMY, Inc.; and Central Piedmont Builders, worked on the building rehabilitation project that was completed in March 2020. The $800,000 project was funded by the property owners, Wivianny and Ryan DeHaas; two City of Salisbury grants totaling $55,000; and federal and state historic tax credits.
The demonstration kitchen is used for public and private classes and nonprofits, with a focus on healthy foods. The kitchen also has a partnership with local farmers and uses local products as much as possible.
There is a large indoor assembly space that allows people of all ages and diverse backgrounds to gather as a community. Instructors also teach in underused downtown Salisbury spaces, such as alleyways, parks, and parking lots. The facility has raised community awareness of the importance of caring for one’s health, both physical and mental, especially during the pandemic.
Heart of Salisbury provides employment for fourteen to eighteen certified professionals, and affordable rents for their businesses, at a cost of $325 to $450 per month. It has also spurred additional interest in renovating vacant space in downtown Salisbury.