By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
ROCKINGHAM — The city’s downtown area has seen no small amount of investment in Rockingham in recent years, but very little of it spearheaded by private sources.
John Massey, city planner, said Tuesday during the city’s annual budget work session at Hinson Lake he’d like Mayor Steve Morris and the City Council to consider a facade improvement program.
A Richmond County Chamber of Commerce photo
City officials were part of the gathering when Pattan’s Downtown Grille celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. But the project was spearheaded by the city, and officials on Tuesday lamented the lack of private investment.
The program would work like this: On pre-approved projects, a property owner or business owner (with the proper owner’s permission) could complete projects up to $10,000 and be reimbursed up to half the cost, or a maximum of $5,000.
The program isn’t currently funded in the draft Fiscal Year 2016 budget as presented during Tuesday’s retreat. Massey said he hoped the city could apply for a Cole Foundation grant to spur the first few projects.
Massey said if the program is approved, City Council would appoint a review committee that would ensure projects would be “aesthetically compatible with downtown.”
City officials said there seemed to be no better time than now to invest in the downtown area, what with the addition of Discovery Place KIDS children’s science museum, Hitchcock Place and the recently opened Pattan’s Downtown Grille and the recently completed $63,000 streetscape project.
If awarded a grant, businesses would be required to complete the facade improvement project within nine months following project approval.
This image shows the boundary of the proposed Downtown Facade Improvement Grant District in Rockingham.
In addition, property owners or business tenants also could receive facade design assistance — up to 10 percent of the $5,000 facade improvement grant — if a professional architect or designer is hired.
