2022 NC Main Street Champion
Downtown Sanford, Inc. would like to thank former Mayor Chet Mann for his dedication and determination leading Sanford to become one of the foremost places for economic growth and vitality in central North Carolina. Under his leadership, Sanford focused on smart, sustainable growth and nurtured the public-private partnerships necessary to compete on a national and international scale. Sanford has become a prime location for industry, innovation, tourism, the arts, and more. As a result, Downtown Sanford is increasingly recognized as a critical piece of the economic development puzzle. Under Mayor Mann's leadership, Sanford’s citizens overwhelmingly passed a bond referendum that revitalized downtown. It helped fill storefronts with contributing shops that attract local citizens and visitors alike. Property owners can now realize the value of residential units, giving downtown the desired twenty-four seven formula needed to survive. Downtown Sanford is now a place where people want to live, work, and play. Downtown Sanford Inc. wants to extend its sincere appreciation and gratitude to Chet Mann by recognizing him as its two thousand twenty-two Main Street Champion.