Downtown Master Plan 1996

The Downtown Master Plan was developed in the late 1990s. Although Morganton had been the hub of economic development in Burke County for many years, community leaders felt the downtown area had the potential to be a more vital and vibrant center for community life. 

To explore that potential, the Morganton City Council appointed the Downtown Advisory Committee in the spring of 1996 and engaged the services of a consulting firm to lead a visioning process for Downtown Morganton. Over a period of 18 months, some 350 community members were involved in research, discussion, and planning aimed at developing a strategic plan for the downtown's future - The Master Plan.