Honoring the Past, Building a Future
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. … Continue reading What Do Developers See The First Time They Encounter Downtown Rocky Mount?
We all know that things in Rocky Mount are precarious. We know because past negligence has finally caught up with us and pinned its “tail on the donkey,” which now is affecting both our reputation and our future. We see it in the empty buildings downtown, the projects that fail to move forward, and the … Continue reading Sorting Out Rocky Mount’s Priorities: Main Street and Beyond
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
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
I'm in love again with another beautiful building under restoration. This time it’s 234 SW Main Street. The first thing that caught my eye was the color palette. The soft gray façade, the white trim, and the darker accents create an elegance that feels both modern and respectful of the building’s history. Whoever is guiding this restoration … Continue reading A Jewel Being Polished: 234 SW Main Street
Take time today while snowed in to read this new blog post published on a snow bound day at 6:30 AM A birthday worth celebrating. There is a silence in the air with the snow decorating the garden and the street with no tire tracks interrupting the beauty of it all. It's Sunday and people … Continue reading A Sunday Snow Day and a 100-Year Story on Main Street
Main Street Rocky Mount 