Our NC Main Street Awards
Each year at the NC Main Street Annual Conference, The NC Department of Commerce and The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center announce the NC Main Street Award Winners. The NC Main Street Awards recognize the hard work, dedication, and success of our NC Main Street communities and their achievements in the Four Points of the Main Street Approach® to downtown revitalization: Economic Vitality, Design, Promotion, and Organization
2022 Best Economic Recovery Initiative: NC Main Street
City of Lenoir Main Street Program Lenoir Tourism Development Authority
COVID-19’s shifting mandates and gathering restrictions made creating the 2021 Downtown Lenoir promotions schedule challenging. In response, the Promotions Team and City of Lenoir Main Street staff created its own “PPP” program consisting of the Leprechaun Chase Scavenger Hunt, Haunted Halloween Heist, and Elf on a Shelf in a Store in Lenoir events. Consumers were encouraged to move around downtown discovering QR codes in businesses and other points of interest. Players received a set number of points for each pot of gold or leprechaun found, or challenge completed. The Haunted Halloween Heist involved the theft of the iconic Thomas Sayre “Across the Grain” sculpture with participants engaging in a “Clue” like board game to solve the heist. For the Elf on the Shelf in a Store in Lenoir game, players collected digital stamps by finding elves and QR codes placed inside participating businesses.
Downtown merchants contributed $3,000 to sponsor the three initiatives. The Lenoir Tourism Development Authority helped fund digital platforms for the games, and the City of Lenoir Information Technology Department provided surplus smart phones to participants.
More than 350 teams and 1,000 participants enjoyed these creative initiatives while providing much-appreciated support to downtown businesses. And additional Leprechaun Chase and Elf on the Shelf in a Store in Lenoir events are planned in the future.
2020 Best Endangered Properties Rescue Effort
Allison Gray and David Maurer, the Breakfield Family, the Lenoir Business Advisory Board, and The City of Lenoir Main Street Program
Demolition by neglect is relatively easy to spot. But, do boarded-up windows and collapsing roofs truly signify that a historic building is indeed forgotten and holds no sentiment? Not always, we discovered. When responding to complaints of mold, mildew and water damage in neighboring properties due to the condition of the Stine’s Ice Cream Parlor Building, the Lenoir “Re-MOD Squad” heard the owners dejectedly say, “This was Dad’s much-loved building. Our childhood memories are kept inside. We don’t know what to do! It can’t possibly be saved!” The Squad explained various options available. Yet, by untangling the heart strings of this emotional attachment, the owners came to realize that in different hands many people could once again enjoy this special building. Hands were found belonging to preservation architects who began work on the second tax credit project in the district. During construction, second glances at this activity became second chances for four neighboring buildings which sold during construction, or shortly after. Acquisitions now total $645,000 dollars on this block alone. Vacant buildings are being redeveloped; new businesses and jobs created; awards received and national grants leveraged as a result. Our historic buildings sheltered us, provided employment, and are keepers of our memories. This once seemingly forgotten building on the corner of Harper Avenue and Church Street will long be remembered for reintroducing vibrancy and engagement along its neighboring streets and creating opportunities for a new generation of memories.
2019 Best Endangered Properties Rescue Effort: The Little Building with the BIG Impact – Dayvault’s Drug Store Building
Plaster Architecture, Tavio and Denise Martinez, Preservation North Carolina, North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office,The City of Lenoir Main Street Program
The Lenoir Main Street Program worked closely with the North Carolina Main Street and Rural Planning Center and Preservation North Carolina to find an alternative to demolition for this extremely distressed building. Preservation North Carolina acquired the property and sold it to the current owner for $10,000. Using a budget of less $200,000 and nonprofit support, this severely distressed building in Downtown Lenoir is now a vibrant and attractive property. Today, the property is home to a local boutique on the lower floor and a charming apartment on the upper floor.
The rehabilitation of the Dayvault’s Drug Store building in downtown Lenoir began a chain of events in the area that has led to a fervor of downtown historic preservation and revitalization efforts. Preservation North Carolina connected the City with developers that have purchased mill and warehouse properties for renovation, additional National Register downtown districts have been established, and new historic tax credit projects are currently underway. Further, the owner of the building documented his redevelopment process through a blog, further educating the local and neighboring communities on historic tax credit projects.
2019 Best Downtown Special Event or Event Series: NC Main Street
NC Gravity Games
Since 2010 the Town of Lenoir has partnered with the local Google Data Center and other tech and nonprofit partners across the state to host the North Carolina Gravity Games in downtown Lenoir.
This STEM-based event has grown larger each year and now includes a variety of science-themed activities and festival attractions. Since its inception, the main event of the games is the gravity-powered soapbox derby that runs down hilly Ashe Avenue in downtown Lenoir. The games are an annual opportunity for learning that attracts many regional participants. Lenoir raised nearly $200,000 to put on the event in September 2019.
The Lenoir Main Street program incorporates downtown businesses into the Gravity Games in a variety of ways. The Festival Food Court exclusively offers food from downtown establishments and is staffed by Main Street volunteers.
All proceeds from the day are given directly to the businesses. The Games also include a “Foot in the Door” scavenger hunt through historic downtown that encourages participants to explore the architecture and visit local businesses.
The games are getting ready to celebrate its 10th year in April and the event keeps growing in scale and interest each year. Lenoir is certain that the North Carolina Gravity Games will continue to gravitate people to their downtown for years to come!
Congratulations to this Small Town Main Street community for its 2019 award. In the category of PROMOTION, Best Downtown Special Event or Event Series recognizes outstanding and creative downtown events.
An Award of Merit is presented to: The Lenoir Main Street Program, the City of Lenoir, Google, Appalachian State University Department of Physics, Appalachian State University Graduate School, NC Science Festival, UNC Morehead Planetarium, NC Space Grant Academic Consortium, and GBW Strategies for NC Gravity Games
All proceeds from the day are given directly to the businesses. The Games also include a “Foot in the Door” scavenger hunt through historic downtown that encourages participants to explore the architecture and visit local businesses.
The games are getting ready to celebrate its 10th year in April and the event keeps growing in scale and interest each year. Lenoir is certain that the North Carolina Gravity Games will continue to gravitate people to their downtown for years to come!
Congratulations to this Small Town Main Street community for its 2019 award. In the category of PROMOTION, Best Downtown Special Event or Event Series recognizes outstanding and creative downtown events.
An Award of Merit is presented to: The Lenoir Main Street Program, the City of Lenoir, Google, Appalachian State University Department of Physics, Appalachian State University Graduate School, NC Science Festival, UNC Morehead Planetarium, NC Space Grant Academic Consortium, and GBW Strategies for NC Gravity Games
2018 Best Innovation: Moving Lenoir to the Second Floor
City of Lenoir Main Street Program
The City of Lenoir Main Street program had a desire to address misconceptions and stifle myths about redevelopment of downtown commercial properties. The $16,000 Moving Lenoir to the 2nd Floor program began with a workshop held locally for downtown Lenoir property owners, business owners, bankers, real estate agents, accountants, city council and administration, the Fire Marshal, and building inspectors. The workshop, called “Backflow to Cash Flow,” was presented by preservation architects David Maurer and Plaster. It provided critical information about the North Carolina Building Code and historic tax credits. Following the workshop, grant funds were used to support individual walk-throughs of twenty-one historic properties with architects Maurer and Plaster.
As a result, data was collected, pictures were taken, and notes were recorded on each historic building, and the information remains in the downtown building inventory housed in the Downtown Development Department. The process empowered owners to make more informed decisions about their next steps for rehabilitating the properties.
Eight property owners were inspired to begin rehabilitation work and eight properties have sold, resulting in $500,000 in private investment and $1 million in private acquisitions over a twelve-month period.
2018 Best Downtown Special Event or Event Series
The NC Tattoo & Arts Gathering
TOGETHER WE CREATE lasting Impressions! Want to attract the creative class? Then attract the creative class! The newly reorganized Carolina Tattoo and Arts Gathering does that in an authentic, overwhelmingly creative way! The Gathering attracts internationally renowned tattoo artists to Downtown Lenoir and showcases their creative works to over 3,500 people. The furniture industry initially brought the creative class to Lenoir and now so do data centers, such as Google. Our new brand TOGETHER WE CREATE and the Gathering beautifully illustrate our ‘WE CREATE’ spirit. Going a significant step further, it also exemplifies the ‘TOGETHER’ aspect of our community. Presumably, this event might initially give rise to question marks, but the collaboration couldn’t be healthier. Lenoir’s Main Street Volunteers bake over 100 dozen cookies for artists who so appreciate our sense of community. Our police officers line-up to work this event which demonstrates the power of ‘TOGETHER’ in action. Social media impressions totaled nearly 3 million bringing participants from 54 zip codes, 25 states and 7 countries. Holding the event in our historic buildings, organizers have recently purchased property downtown.
2018 Best Volunteer Recruitment, Training & Recognition
City of Lenoir Main Street Program
TOGETHER WE CREATE…a CREW 100+ strong! The heart of any dynamic Main Street program is simply its people. People committed to the condition of “the living room of their community,” our Downtowns. Yet, this enthusiasm and commitment should be fueled by training and guided by objectives. The “Be a Part of What Makes THIS WORK!” volunteer training and recognition program equips these dedicated people with the concepts of the Main Street America Approach and its principles. This coupling of commitment and comprehension of this approach is vital to Downtown development. The 4-point approach, volunteer opportunities and responsibilities are presented in an orientation workshop and reinforced at all gatherings. Volunteer “opportunities” are scheduled during pre-event task volunteer meetings. Support is provided for The CREW members to attend NC Main Street Conferences, and state meetings. The CREW also enjoys the “I ♥ Lenoir Main Street Annual Recognition Celebration” championing all of the past year’s successes and efforts. The creative nature of this program has seen its numbers quintuple in two years! Dressed in their CREW T-shirts for each event, the CREW looks forward to serving, getting together, meeting new people, but mostly cheering on about how TOGETHER WE CREATE Downtown Lenoir!
2018 Best Public Relations Effort
City of Lenoir Main Street Program
TOGETHER WE CREATE a truly authentic story-brand and comprehensive image-building campaign! Our goals were simple: get it right, do it well, be creative, and, above all, be true to who we are. We happily managed them. Creating an authentic brand telling the story of what differentiates you from another community isn’t easy. Destination by Design, Boone, NC was selected and their expert guidance resulted in a story-brand that rallied businesses, property owners, city officials, and community members in celebration of who we are and what we are yet to become. The TOGETHER WE CREATE Downtown Lenoir campaign launched a ripple effect of enthusiasm to be felt for years. This helped attract the creative class to spur business openings; property sales and redevelopment; and Downtown Volunteers now number in the hundreds. This effect has now attracted a significant redevelopment venture soon to embrace our Downtown. This brand translates easily to our Downtown events and programs such as TOGETHER WE CREATE great BBQ, Creative Business Ambassadors and The Be a Part of What Makes THIS WORKS Volunteer Program. It’s seen on light-pole banners, t-shirts, merchandise, stationery, websites, and social media platforms. With its help, TOGETHER WE continue to CREATE a great place.
