What Do Developers See The First Time They Encounter Downtown Rocky Mount?

I went in the door of the old Belk building the other morning and met three workman continuing to clear out the cavernous space. It is in need of a buyer. I somehow refrained from hugging the guys after they took time to chat and confirmed some research I have been doing on the block. THEY REMEMBERED.

Standing out front again, I wonder what a developer sees when they first experience Main Street, not what we no longer notice because of familiarity. What does an outsider see when deciding whether Rocky Mount is worth the risk.

The Belk building sits like a question mark because no one has yet answered what comes next.

This is exactly where Rocky Mount finds itself today, trying to answer that same question.

After the recent audit and the millions of dollars gone missing, those headlines traveled fast. Developers and investors read these stories. That kind of news and negative publicity stifles incentive to check us out.

People recognize instability.

Banks notice it.

Developers notice it.

Investors notice it.

Before we ask developers to believe in Rocky Mount we have to show them that we can take care of ourselves.

Please don’t stop noticing….. the neglected awnings, the empty upper windows, the buildings with no visible plan, The darkness after five o’clock.

Because visitors notice.

Developers notice.

Thank goodness some see the positive things. They see the architecture. They see the train station., The Imperial Center. They see Rocky Mount Mills. They see restaurants filled with people.

They see historic brick buildings that would cost a fortune to recreate today.

We want them to see possibilities too.

That is the frustrating part about Rocky Mount. The potential can be hidden. Especially in buildings like the old Belk department store. Belk’s is like the turkey at Thanksgiving that is missing all the trimmings.

When I look at this building; an empty shell, I see one of the most important psychological buildings downtown. I grew up in Evanston, IL. with a Marshall Fields at the corner of Church Street and Sherman Avenue. It too became something else years later.

But that Marshall Field building still holds memories of buying ‘back to school clothes,’ and Christmas shopping. I bought a red plaid flannel shirt in the boys department that went to camp with me every summer. The older it got the softer it became.

Belk’s is a building that could change the way people feel about Main Street if the right developer ever stepped inside with vision.

We know lights in upper windows change people. Restaurants create movement. Apartments create life. Momentum spreads. A vibe exists that calls to people.

Cities give off signals whether they mean to or not. Right now Rocky Mount is giving mixed signals. Part of a block says progress. Another says uncertainty. One building says hope. Another says abandonment.

Downtown was built by merchants and craftsmen who believed Main Street mattered. These buildings have character and permanence that modern construction struggles to recreate.

Across America people are searching for places with identity and history. Rocky Mount already possesses those things. What we have lacked is consistent stewardship. Continued power struggles over who is charge of decisions to be made.

Developers do not need perfection. But they do need confidence. They need to feel leadership is steady. They need to feel people are rowing in the same direction. That the welcome sign is out for everyone. .

Rocky Mount’s greatest challenge right now is restoring confidence in leadership, and stewardship. I sense that the community has had enough of what we Episcopalians call ‘obstacles to grace.’

Imagine what downtown can become again if allowed to flourish. There is a strong case to make that members of the City Council have conflict of interests. These interests and the micro managing of who is welcome have run people off unwilling to deal with the obstacles presented to them.

In 2027, new leadership is imperative. The attitude towards developers and individual business owners must change. A change of attitude that says, “We are going to help you make this happen.” Do you see the difference that can make?

This is possible when Rocky Mount sorts out its priorities.

All around Rocky Mount, towns are restoring what has been left behind. Go to Goldsboro, Wilson, Tarboro, and New Bern for proof of that. Not over night, but steady, intentional, and wonderful.

Rocky Mount is at a place where belief and responsibility finally have to meet. The old Belk Department Store can live again when developers find Main Street a great place to invest in and can deal with reliable leadership.

I hope you agree and see that the 2027 elections as our next best chance for change. We need a city wide effort. You may not be able to vote in the ward that has a seat open, but you can pay attention, pick your candidate regardless of where you live and help that candidate somehow, someway.

I hope you agree that this is our next best hope.

Let all the congregation shout, Amen!