Topics Related to Community

IGH, NC -- Mount Airy has recently been redesignated as an active Main Street community, part of the national Main Street Program that is administered by the NC Department of Commerce’s Office of Urban Development. 

“The North Carolina Main Street Center staff is looking forward to working with the Mount Airy leadership to help them develop a comprehensive Main Street program that will improve the commercial district and attract increased foot traffic to downtown,” said Liz Parham, director of the Office of Urban Development.

igh, N.C.—The N.C. Department of Commerce, Office of Urban Development announced that 27 North Carolina communities have achieved accreditation from the National Main Street Program for meeting the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Main Street Center®, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce presented 18 awards to participants in the N.C. Main Street and Small Town Main Street programs at the N.C. Main Street Awards Ceremony Thursday evening in Salisbury. Award winners were recognized for excellence in downtown revitalization efforts in categories that include promotion, organization, design and economic restructuring.

Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that seven communities will receive more than $969,000 through the state’s Main Street Solutions Fund. The small businesses that benefit from the Main Street Solutions grants will create or retain a minimum of 119 permanent and 57 part-time jobs in addition to 84 construction jobs, according to the grant applications.

East Carolina University and the N.C. Department of Commerce are collaborating on an innovative Community Development Block Grant program designed to strengthen less-prosperous communities in Eastern North Carolina. The “Talent Enhancement Demonstration Grants” program, designed to provide technical assistance and financial resources to increase competitiveness and build stronger, more vibrant and more capable communities, is accepting applications through March 31, 2009. 

RALEIGH - Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that the N.C. Office of Economic Recovery and Investment (OERI) will hold the third in a series of workshops across the state providing information and guidance to local municipalities, businesses and interested citizens on how the federal recovery funds will be administered. Gov. Perdue will speak at the May 18 workshop, to be held at 10 a.m. in Lenoir Community College’s Waller Auditorium in Kinston, N.C.

The North Carolina Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NC Neighborhood) has awarded a total of $7.5 million in grants to 10 localities. The program provides federal funds from the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) to communities to help address economic and community development needs, primarily for the benefit of low- and moderate- income residents.

The National Main Street Center has designated 47 North Carolina communities as accredited Main Street America™ programs, the North Carolina Department of Commerce announced today. Each year, the National Main Street Center and N.C. Commerce’s Main Street & Rural Planning Center partner to announce the list of all accredited Main Street America programs, recognizing exemplary commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach.