Elizabeth City’s Downtown is Booming
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Elizabeth City’s downtown is on the upswing. As new entrepreneurs begin moving in‚ and the city begins investing thousands of dollars into aesthetic improvements‚ downtown is once again the main attraction.
“ Our vibrant downtown is improving every day‚” says Tammy Jones‚ owner of City Treats‚ an old-fashioned candy and ice cream shop that opened in July 2003.
In fact‚ over the next few months‚ residents and visitors will see a host of improvements to the town’s historic downtown corridor‚ such as the addition of sidewalk benches and period lighting along the streets. New sidewalks will feature decorative brick‚ and flowers and landscaping will be added to green spaces throughout downtown.
The streetscape project is a $720‚000 venture being funded by federal transportation dollars and involves a two-block area and two intersections.
“ Our hope is to carry the theme throughout the downtown area by formulating private-public partnerships with some of the businesses developing in the downtown area‚” says City Manager Rich Olson.
And with downtown’s attributes‚ such as a waterfront that attracts thousands of boaters each season‚ there are plenty of opportunities for collaborative ventures.
Elizabeth City’s downtown also boasts a healthy commercial district with professional offices‚ restaurants and specialty retail shops. Plus‚ it has a strong residential component with waterfront condominiums and apartments. The Museum of the Albemarle’s move to downtown will further expand the city’s cultural offerings.
“ Elizabeth City is on the verge of really opening up‚ and I’m glad I’m a part of it‚” says Dru Thompson‚ who with her husband‚ Everett‚ moved into a new building downtown that doubles as his law office and her art gallery and studio‚ Red Rabbit.
Bryan Edge is another entrepreneur who is capitalizing on the renewed interest in downtown. He has taken over the old Love State Theater and transformed it into The Carolina Theater and Grille‚ a place where families and couples can spend the evening watching first-run movies while having dinner. The theater features 25 tables that can seat 100 people for dinner and 168 theater seats. Edge has also renovated the adjoining space and opened a restaurant.
The key‚ perhaps‚ to downtown’s renaissance is its availability to residents and tourists day and night.
“ Our downtown is active all day. People live downtown and get up in the morning and stop at the library or drop off their dry cleaning before going to a restaurant for breakfast‚” says Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce President Rhonda Twiddy. “At night‚ we have a number of restaurants that are open with a lot of activity after hours.”
That’s why it is easy to believe Twiddy when she says that Elizabeth City’s downtown is the “heart of the community.
Story by Joanne Mamenta
Photo by Anthony Boshier
