Main Street Program Improvements

Since its creation, the Main Street program has helped implement a tremendous amount of improvements to downtown Morganton. Property owners have completed 206 façade improvements and 124 building renovations. The Main Street program has installed streetscapes, improved sidewalks and alleyways, installed benches and trash receptacles, and most recently started installing wayfinding signs that direct visitors to the downtown district and throughout Morganton.

Main Street provides regular landscaping and beautification to downtown as well as seasonal decorations, daily trash pickup, daily sidewalk cleaning, and daily parking lot clean-up. City staff works hard to keep the downtown clean and litter-free, and visitors are routinely impressed by the beauty of the town. Thanks to the Main Street program, downtown Morganton is in ever-improving shape and offers a charming and inviting atmosphere for shoppers, workers, residents, and visitors.

Main Street staff also works to help property owners find tenants for their buildings. Staff actively recruits and shows downtown properties to potential tenants, and staff maintains a database of available properties. Staff assists business owners with business plans and recruits new business to move into the downtown tax district. Main Street also provides architectural services to downtown property owners to promote second-floor development. In 2010, Main Street was awarded a $271,455 grant from the NC Main Street Solutions Fund, which was used to provide three grants to downtown property owners and more than $200,000 in loans to nine downtown businesses.