Honoring the Past, Building a Future
“Cities are remembered not only for what they build new, but for what they choose to keep.” SFH These buildings matter. They are a presence in the story of Rocky Mount; not burdens but possibilities. They still possess beauty, dignity, and purpose. These photographs show us that restoration does not begin with money or construction. … Continue reading Three Downtown Buildings: Restored to Their Original Beauty
My first instinct, standing on the sidewalk, camera in hand, is not generous. It is the Queen of Hearts rising up in me: “Off with their heads!” as Lewis Carroll once wrote. How does this happen? Looking at the glass on this beautiful brick sidewalk, I ask, how does someone own a building on Main Street, part … Continue reading When Local Ownership Fails Main Street: Part 3 203 SE Main Street
In Part #3 I finish up writing about absentee owners, both long distance and local and what they can do. I hope you will take time to read more about the cost to the city and what can be done. My position!
Earlier this week, I wrote about absentee owners and what distance can cost a downtown. But there is another form of neglect, closer to home, and harder to excuse. When local ownership is at fault, all 5 foot 2 inches, or a little less, of me rises up in indignation on behalf of the commercial … Continue reading Part 2: When Ownership Fails Main Street
There are buildings on Main Street that are not failing because time defeated them. They are failing because ownership did. Let us begin with what absentee ownership is costing Rocky Mount, NC. These owners are not walking the street. They are not seeing the peeling paint, or the water beginning its work along a parapet … Continue reading Part 1: When Ownership Fails Main Street
Main Street Rocky Mount 