Happenings from 2009
SPOT THE COUGAR CONTEST 
BLACKSTONE CRUISE-IN
NEW SIGN FOR DBi 
PICK UP OUR PRIDE DAY
ACCIDENT ON MAIN 
DUCK RACE AT SOUTH BOSTON
Recently, I was visited by one of our local residents, Dawn Dickson Van Ness. Mrs. Van Ness is doing course work at VCU and put together the following piece on Revitalization from her visit.
Mrs. Van Ness also featured Rita Ingram, who came to work for the Bistro after Virginia Barbecue closed at the shopping center. Downtown serves the community in many ways and one of them is by offering employment to local citizens. In the interview below, Mrs. Ingram points out a couple of unique features to working in a downtown environment. As a former sales rep who drove upwards of 30,000 miles a year, I can personally relate to the advantage of a much shorter commute.
Rita Ingram, Restaurant Manager for Blackstone Coffee & Bistro
Visit the Dawn Dickson Van Ness website at http://thevirginiareel.com/home.html
REVITALIZATION UPDATE
JAN-APRIL '09
A six week span of rain practically ground the progress to a crawl so there was not much to update but with a couple of sunny days last week and a full week of sunshine the week of May 18th, the action has ramped up to a fever pitch and suddenly there is so much going on that it's hard to keep up without camping out on the street with the camera clicking.
Vinyl has been removed from the Hotel portion of the Antiques Mall exposing large original windows. Candy Early's recently acquired 106 N. Main has received new lentils above the windows which required removal of most of the brick above the windows and replacing the lentils and then rebuilding the facade identical to the original design! The Blackstone Emporium and Victoria's Beauty Salon have been painted and the Antiques Mall has been primed and a finish coat has been applied. The Teefey building has received two colors and Spencer's Drug Store is being stripped of the gray facade in preparation for a new stucco treatment to come.
The paint crew has now begun priming Barbara Gibbs' facade and the electricians arrived and are estimating the cost of the various jobs they will have to do as part of the scope of work in the block grant. New signs have gone up at DBi and Fisher Allman while signs are coming down from Spencers Drugstore and the Decorize sign was taken down from the upper level of Lucky 8's Sports bar. Meanwhile, new garage doors have arrived and are being installed on the Coke building. Suddenly a lot is going on! Click the thumbnails for an updated photo gallery of all the action!
MAY - JUNE '09
Most property owners have chosen colors and all but a couple have submitted plans to the Design Committee which meets twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at the DBi office (107 W. Broad Street) at 5:30 pm. Property owners are welcome to attend these meetings by appointment. Requests for plans to be approved can be submitted to the Executive Director's office on the Monday that preceeds each scheduled meeting. The paperwork for submitting these plans is included in the Design guidelines.
By following the correct procedure, we will eliminate any unnecessary delays! The Design committee is not here to restrict as much as to guide and educate owners on what properly fits into the requirements of an historical district. By overseeing the physical transformation of our town, they will achieve their mission of creating an environment that is pedestrian-friendly and attractive as well as profitable for present and future investors!
This week saw new signs go up and old signs come down! Blackstone is slowly but surely being transformed. Click the links to follow the action. Downtown continues to prove resilient. A couple of months ago we regretfully reported that two businesses left, one for the shopping center and one went out of business. Well this month, we are excited to welcome two new businesses to Main Street!
At 302 S. Main street, you will now find the I-sellstore where you can sell your goods on e-bay and in the same building is Victoria Franklin's Main Street Access realty office. A couple doors down in 306 S. Main Street, you will find Trendsetter, a new casual clothing store operated by Tomeka Wallace and James Smith! I am happy to announce that I entertained two additional prospects that may materialize in coming months. People are expressing a desire to occupy buildings downtown more and more as the momentum keeps building. I predict that spaces downtown will soon become a rare and highly sought after commodity. My recommendation is to get on board now!
JULY-August '09
Many volunteers took vacations during July and so did I! Things continued to happen despite all that. Of note is the fact that a new business is moving to W. Broad Street and the wing of the Coke building next to the Citizens Bank Drive-through has been totally renovated by the Borums for their latest new tenant. The store will be called "Just Sew" Embroidery shop, formerly located in Farmville operating under the name "Mary Lou's"! The Town of Blackstone recently dug up the center of W. Broad to connect water lines to the new location and to repair some sewer lines that have needed attention for some time. Please excuse our dust and drive slowly to keep it down. We are not sure how long it will be until the road is repaved.
August promises to bring the opening of the Lucky 8's sports bar as well and that is fitting since it is the 8th month of the year! At this point, we have 26 facades in various stages and 13 of them are complete with another 11 listed as substantially completed and 12 in progress. The reason that more are not classified as finished is that certain work has to be done all at the same time and must be scheduled after other work is completed. For example, the awning contractor is yet to get started because the painting had to preceed him. Measurements have been made and colors chosen and in many cases the awnings will be the final step in completing many of the facades that are otherwise done. Almost daily, I get someone making the comment that Blackstone is looking good and it is but it is really going to pop once the finishing touches are applied!
We are gearing up for the next meeting with business and property owners as we plan our Fall events. Meetings have been held to discuss how the area dubbed "the town square", will be utilized. Blackstone is literally rising from the ashes of the fire of 2004 and it is exciting to see. In the meantime, check us out on the National Park Service Heritage travel itinerary by clicking the link http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/travel/VAmainstreet/ .
August has been hot with controversy and drama and continues to be so! Scorching topics include the disposition of the Armory and the area formerly known as the hole, that we would like to be redubbed the "town square". As many local residents know, this area was ground zero for our last major fire that took down two historic buildings in the heart of downtown and left a empty space which propelled us to the top of the list for a Block Grant to address blight in downtown.
It is frustrating and discouraging to see good people at odds over issues that tend to divide a community but these are the growing pains of progress that we must endure. I thank Cammie Armstrong who encouraged me by stopping by as I was leaving the office earlier this week. She was so excited about having seen people strolling downtown after business hours enjoying ice cream from Candy's old fashioned Ice Cream Parlor. I thank her because her comments came at a high point in my frustration level to let me know that people are noticing a positive change in the atmosphere of Blackstone and my efforts are appreciated. Sometimes a little comment goes a long way.
Along those same lines, I got a surprise visit from Betty Wright-Armbruster a couple days later! She just walked into my office all aglow and full of compliments about how nice the town was looking! I enjoyed my visit and took her over to spread the cheer to Joe Allman, my neighbor and DBi board president. Her husband and former Blackstone resident, Bill Armbruster was one of the prominent promoters of revitalization over a decade ago! That visit meant a lot and her words were confirmation that we are indeed on the right track and people everywhere are noticing.
People are noticing our website as well! I got an e-mail recently from the person responsible for the 'got mesker' initiative. He writes "I ...congratulate Downtown Blackstone Inc. for recognizing the Mesker facades as an important part of your downtown. I really appreciate that you've dedicated a very informative and useful page on your website to this subject and that you've linked to my Flickr site." All in all, I would say that this past week has been a roller coaster with more ups than downs! (Scroll down for the link to the Mesker Metal Storefronts link referred to here)
July and August were choked full of education and trainings for me. I attended two sessions on Tourism, two Virginia Main Street Trainings and an Entreprenueurs Express during those two months. The details of the various trainings and workshops are elaborated on in more detail under the trainings section below. DBi continues to study hard in order to get the latest training to be of greatest possible assistance for the revitalization of Blackstone.
Welcome Amy Haynes as she moves from committee member to Chairman of the Promotions Committee! Amy steps up as Sara Ryan-Gilmore steps down in preparation for motherhood. Congratulations Francis and Sara! We are all excited about the change but we appreciate the service and commitment that Sara brought to the post during her tenure as chairman. DBi is fortunate to have so many dedicated and capable volunteers to rely on! Other additions include new members Sheila Matthews and Lynn Shekleton. With these new volunteers stepping up to the plate, the Promotions committee shouldn't miss a beat despite the changing of the guard so to speak.
SEPT-OCTOBER '09
It's September and the leaves are starting to signal the coming of fall. The temperature has moderated and downtown revitalization is nearing completion. Frank and Debbie Yancey's properties will soon be finished and the painters are back in town putting finishing touches on buildings. There are still three properties that will have to go to DHR, Dept. of Historic Resources for a 30 day review before they can be started on including the Brown Street side of the HL Jackson building, the old Leonard's cleaning building, and 108 N. Main Street, which recently came back into the program.
I recently did a power point presentation recapping our involvement in the CDBG project at a Main Street training in Manassas and it gave me a chance to think back to the beginning of the process. (Six DBi members travelled to Manassas for a two day training seminar on September 16th and 17th. Check out pictures from the trip.) It has taken a lot of patience but once things got moving, I must say that, despite some bumps in the road, they have moved pretty smoothly overall. When you consider that it has been two years now since the grant was awarded and we are finishing up on schedule with full participation still intact, that is quite an accomplishment with the number of people participating in the program that we have.
It was only last fall that the project went out to bid and was awarded to W.E. Bowman, the low bidder. At that time, the Town Manager met individually with each property owner to get them contractually committed to the project after sharing actual cost projections with them. Luckily, we did not lose a lot of participants at that point. Already, 1.5 million dollars has been invested and It is projected that property owners will invest in access of 2.2 million dollars in refurbishng this little town before its all said and done and that is money spent in addition to the million dollars from the block grant!! This makes us a glaring example of success for the CDBG process!
Actual work started in January of 2009 and here we are in October and we are very close to finishing up the project completely. Indeed October is shaping up as the month that will see several major decisions being made and projects coming to a conclusion. October holds a lot of promise for our Revitalization efforts because we are nearing the closeout of the CDBG project. In the next 45 days, you can expect to see the last bit of paint go on buildings and many loose ends and small details coming together. A sure sign of the project coming to an end will be the finishing touch applied by the awning contractor. Awnings will be the last job after all the pointing, caulking, and painting is done. It is the final detail that should really be a nice wrap up to all the work that has preceded it. As awnings pop up on Broad street and Main Street, they should get a lot of attention because I think they will add a great visual impact to the buildings which are otherwise complete. Stay tuned because the excitement continues!
Although the weather is cool, the issue of parking remains hot! Town Council will continue its meeting from September on October 5th and one of the issues on the agenda is to decide how the Town Square space, aka "the hole", will be designed and how much will be parking and how much will be green space or a pocket park. There have been three proposals given for Council to consider and a 4th compromise concept has also emerged. For more information on these topics, scroll down a bit and all the details are given under the heading "Addressing the Hole".
DBi has also added documents detailing Virginia Main Street's position regarding parking in general and a letter specifically addressing the debate over parking or green space in the Town Square. Our goal is to present all the research from the experts on Revitalization so that you will understand what their viewpoint is as well as why. Like doctors, VMS advises and prescribes what is best to achieve the good health of a vibrant downtown. Ultimately, however, it is up to us whether we choose to accept their diagnosis and follow their prescription.
We are still gearing up for the next meeting with business and property owners as we plan our Fall events. The date for the business owners' meeting has been set for Thursday, October 22nd at the Blackstone Volunteer fire department on Church Street. Merchants are invited to come at 5:30 for delicious hors d' oeuvres and the actual meeting will begin at 6pm and adjourn at 7pm.
On Friday, October 9th, there were about 30 contractors in town at 10am looking at the Borum properties on West Broad, the Jackson building and the Doswell building to get a look at the plans so they could bid on the work the Borums are planning on doing to restore the upper level for apartments. Bids are due next Friday, October 16th at 3pm. In case you missed the fuss just hit the link. Contractors gathered
September brought crisp weather and the Annual Chamber of Commerce Arts & Crafts Festival. Once again this year, DBi sold soft serve ice cream at its booth along with DBi T-shirts. Once again, the response was great bringing in almost $1,300 gross profit! Not bad for a couple of days work.
Check out some photos of the event by clicking the link that follows: Slideshow Still photos
Welcome Amy Haynes as she moves from committee member to Chairman of the Promotions Committee! Amy steps up as Sara Ryan-Gilmore steps down in preparation for motherhood. Congratulations Francis and Sara! We are all excited about the change but we appreciate the service and commitment that Sara brought to the post during her tenure as chairman. DBi is fortunate to have so many dedicated and capable volunteers to rely on! Other additions include new members Sheila Matthews and Lynn Shekleton. With these new volunteers stepping up to the plate, the Promotions committee shouldn't miss a beat despite the changing of the guard so to speak.
NOV. - DEC.
December is here and the Grand Illumination and the Holiday Open House are behind us! Both events were well attended and a smashing success! We will continue striving to make them better each year. Christmas is fast approaching. In two weeks, the Blackstone Christmas parade kicks off and we will be back on the streets again marveling at the grand processional. Be sure to get your registration form in (Go to the events page for a link to the forms). Of course the reason for the season is the birth of Christ and the tradition of gift giving dates back to the scene of the three wise men bearing gifts for the new born Savior. As we celebrate the holiday this year, as always many gifts will be shared.
Perhaps the town of Blackstone has gotten an early Christmas gift because I am pleased to announce that on Monday, December 7th Blackstone will have a drycleaning business located downtown! Dwayne Gwaltney will open his third location of Town & Country Cleaners at 116 East Broad Street right next door to the JC Penney Catalog store. This is a modern operation with all the bells and whistles and just in time for the Holiday season!! So be sure to stop by and drop off all those clothes that you have been waiting to take out of town. Save the gas and shop local. Now you have yet one more reason to come downtown. Be sure to check out some of the shops while you are here. You might be pleasantly surprised at all the goodies that are available.
You can also stop by any participating business (look for the poster in their window) and get an entry form for the "Win the Window" contest which is now up to a value of $1781.30!! Where else can you go and get a chance at that kind of bounty? Like last year, there is no purchase required. All you need to do is go into the businesses listed on the brochure and get the prices of the donated items and get the merchants to initial your form! It is just that simple! Our hope is that in the process, you will rediscover what downtown's shops have to offer as you look to fill your Christmas list!
November ushered in quite a bit of cool weather, high winds, and rain! Needless to say, such conditions are not conducive to outside work and have shut down efforts to complete the facade work. Progress has slowed to a crawl on that work and the planned paving set for North Main, the Dinwiddie Avenue extension and West Broad Street. We remain optimistic however as we approach the finish line!
We raised some eyebrows and ruffled some feathers with our proposal to charge a "nominal fee" for parade entries so we squashed that idea and have moved forward. Parade expenses include advertising, band cash prizes, band gas stipends, gifts for judges and grand marshall, postage, and incidentals such as certificates and awards as well as magnetic car door signs for dignitaries and very quickly tops the $1,000 mark but we are confident that with enough community support, we will pull it off like always!
DBi is very excited to announce that Lucky 8's Sports bar has officially opened!! The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on Thursday, November 12th at 6pm. Dwayne Coffer, the business/property owner reported that his business employs 27 people! Be sure to cruise on down to our latest hot spot and enjoy a little nightlife right in the heart of downtown at 114 South Main Street!
It won't be long until our biggest Fall events kickoff! On Friday, November 27th, the day after Thanksgiving, be sure to join us at 7p.m. at Seay Park for the Grand Illumination followed by the Holiday Open House. This year, we will have more of everything! You can expect to hear more groups singing carols throughout town, more businesses opening their doors between 7-10 for you to join them for refreshments, more specials to help you stretch your shopping dollar and the unveiling of the Window that will display all the goodies donated to be given away to some lucky person who participates in the "Win the Window" contest. This year, the trolley will run a route downtown, and Carriage rides will take you from Seay Park to the Blackstone Emporium! Another new twist is that we will have Secret Santa trees for Senior Citizens so be sure to pick up an angel from one of several locations to be announced!
Two weeks after the Grand Illumination, the 2009 Blackstone Christmas Parade kicks off! This is one of the biggest events in Blackstone and we are doing everything we can to make it the best ever!7There will be a new parade route with route monitors to keep everyone safe, and a new location for our judging stand nearer to the start of the parade in order to keep the procession moving along once it gets underway. For more information on the parade and how to enter click the events link to the left. Anyone who wishes to volunteer their time to help make the parade bigger and better can contact the DBi office at 107 W. Broad Street or call 434-292-3041.
December 15
It was quite a journey getting the parade organized and now that it is behind me, the phones have finally quieted and I can focus on the next thing which is what Virginia Main Steet dubs the "Data Bonanza". It is the statistical information they require from every Main Street community at year end! I hope that you enjoyed the parade this year. There were some changes implemented in an attempt to improve it and we will continue to strive to make it better. In case you missed it just check out the link: Parade '09.
MANY THANKS TO ALL OUR PARADE SPONSORS WHICH INCLUDED:
*****
1-TOWN OF BLACKSTONE
2-BLACKSTONE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
3-ACCESS REALTY
****
4-LUCKY 8's SPORTS BAR & RESTAURANT
5-UAV PRO INC.
***
6-Moncure Insurance
7-Citizens Bank & Trust Company
8-Gilmore Environmental
9-Mitchell’s Restaurant
10-Signs, Designs & More
11-Benchmark Community Bank
12-Blackstone Coffee & Bistro
13-Blackstone Emporium
**
14-Just Sew Embroidery
15-Victoria’s Beauty Salon
16-Nottoway Office Services
17-Spencers Drugstore
Congratulations to the Parade Winners for 2009!
Marching Bands:
1) L.C. Bird Skyhawks Marching Band
2) Prince Edward Eagles Marching Band
3) Brunswick Bulldogs Marching Band
Band Auxiliaries:
1) L.C. Bird Skyhawks
2) Petersburg Crimson Wave
3) Brunswick Bulldogs
Non-Band Marching Groups
1) Blackstone Primary School “The Pride”
2) Blackstone Primary School 21st Century Karate
3) Nottoway NJROTC
Commercial Floats
1) Heritage Hall
2) Wal-mart
3) Blackstone Police Department
Non-Commercial Floats
1) Blackstone Primary School Garden Club
2) Nottoway Youth Football Association
3) Blackstone Primary School Pre-K
Veterans honored as Grand Marshals were as follows:
Bob Buntin and Mac Williams
Conflict: World War II
Marine Corporal Lowry McDaniel
Conflicts: Served two terms in the Vietnam War.
Navy Petty Officer First Class Thomas Hodge
Conflicts: The Korean War, served on the Antheon AR13 Ship
SSG (Staff Seargant) : Calvin R. Roberson
Conflicts: Operation Just Cause Panama; Operation Boundary El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua; Operation Desert Storm, Desert Shield & Liberation of Kuwait; Joint Task Force Drug Interdiction, Central and South America; Operation Enduring Freedom (Red Lion); Afghanistan government contractor; Operation Iraqi Freedom; Iraqi Government Contractor, Corp of Engineers UXO operation.
SSG (Staff Seargant): Michael T. Suggs
Conflicts: Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom Iraqi I, II
SPC (Specialist): Gary C. Grother
Conflicts: Operation Iraqi Freddom I, II
SPC(Specialist): Ned P. Ferracci (Virginia Army National Guard)
SPC(Specialist): Orville R. Massey (Virginia Army National Guard)
Please note our apologies to Marine Corporal Lowry McDaniel and Navy Petty Officer First Class Thomas Hodge and any others that assembled at the BVFD who unfortunately were omitted from the lineup due to a communication error on our part. We appreciate their service to this country and deeply regret the mix up.
On another note, has anyone noticed a scallop added to the bottom of Francis Gilmore's awning or the awning on Barbara Gibbs' building? The awning man came in on Saturday, the 12th and installed those two, so the end of the block grant project is near.
I have about 40 brand new "Thomas the Tank Engine" pajamas in sizes 4T, 6, and 7 and DBi is giving these away to families with small children. Just come by but call first to make sure I am here (292-3041). We are holding a one dollar a ticket raffle at Bevells! Be sure to check out the end cap near the cash registers. The winning person will receive Thomas the Train items valued at over $130 and proceeds go to benefit DBi.
Don't forget that we have a window chocked full of donated items at 302 South Main Street just waiting to be claimed. A winner will be drawn this Friday, December 18th at 4pm! You must visit the participating merchants and get the price of the items donated and their initials on your form in order for your entry to be valid. No purchase is necessary!
ADDRESSING THE "HOLE"
The August 24th Town Council meeting sure was interesting as businesswoman Candy Early gave her detailed explanation of why she felt the town should turn the vacant lot where the fire of 2004 took place, into a parking lot to alleviate perceived parking problems downtown. She also said that she had collected 211 signatures on a petition in support of the parking lot proposal. Mrs. Early stressed that those in favor of the parking lot are the long time downtown business owners and those in opposition are not as close to the issue because they don't own shops or haven't owned businesses for very long. Ironically, no one spoke against her proposal more vehemently than Al Moore, longtime owner of the Farmer's cafe on the South Main where there are two thirds fewer parking spaces than on North Main where Mrs. Early's business is located as documented by facts gathered in an unofficial parking study of downtown.
At 4pm on the 31st of August, a meeting was convened at the DBi office regarding the green space proposed by the Town of Blackstone. In attendance were Francis Gilmore, Councilman Ben Green, Beth Winn, Beverly Ambs, Amy Haynes, Candy Early, John Koonce, Louis Malon, Lafayette Dickens, Joe Allman, Grace McDonald, Barbara Gibbs, and Whitney Peebles. Mr. Gilmore opened the meeting by explaining that DBi did not initiate the idea of a green space but the town manager did after consulting with DHCD when it became clear that a building was not going to be erected there. Mr. Gilmore emphasized that it is not us, DBi, against those who want an alternate use for this property and he wanted to dispel any thoughts to that affect.
Several issues were laid out and Mr. Green interjected some history and perspective and then DBi's role was elaborated upon. Mr. Allman and Mr. Green explained that DHCD's main emphasis in order to provide funding hinges on the space creating a benefit for LMI (low to moderate income) individuals. The logistics of the drainage and the need for a retaining wall in back of the lot were brought up and Mr. Green made it clear that although Council wants to hear a proposal from DBi, they must also consider the wishes of the citizens in order to get a decision on what to do with this property.
Mr. Dickens then shared research from several sources including Virginia Main Street and communities from all over the country in regard to how they successfully addressed one or two lot gaps in the streetscape by creating inviting public spaces called "pocket parks". This information including pictures was passed around and ideas were shared on how such a space could possibly be designed. Elements that need to go into such a design were shared as well as findings on how spaces such as these are of benefit to communities when properly planned and well maintained. Everyone was encouraged to bring their suggestions to the next meeting to be held at the DBi office at 4pm on Tuesday, September 8th.
Our town's greatest assets are its people! The citizens are concerned and passionate about the future of Blackstone. To our delight, at the September 21st Town Council meeting, another concerned citizen, Richard Eaton, approached the lectern and gave his proposal for the town square which allowed for 24 parking spaces (18 next to the Teefey Law building) with the rest of the space devoted to a green space. Everyone was impressed by Mr. Eaton's detailed CAD drawing showing how his plan would look (see link below). The biggest concern as expressed by Councilman John Hill and Town Manager Larry Palmore was that Mr. Eaton's plan would feature cars turning across the sidewalk from South Main Street in order to enter the parking area.
As scheduled, Francis Gilmore gave the proposal that DBi had developed at the Town's request. Mr. Gilmore pointed out that his proposal was based on research from other communities that have successfully transformed such areas into green spaces and sources of pride for their communities. Mr. Gilmore stated that the B&B consulting agreed to update an existing CAD drawing pro bono and that would feature all the committee's recomendations. Mr. Gilmore assured Council that a drawing would be delivered soon.
A part of the DBi proposal called for a water feature and mostly hardscape which would require minimal maintenance with an automated information kiosk as well as a raised performance platform. Another component of the plan allowed for 14 parking spaces at the rear of the space on the alley side. Additionally, this proposal would incorporate areas for a statue or plaques to enable the design to include an element that emphasizes the history of the town and allow civic organizations to donate key pieces in order to have input and ownership in the process. The goal is to use a collaborative effort to create a space that would foster community pride as well as offer a diversity of uses to the public. How the community views the new space is as important as the aesthetics of the design in this approach.
In summary , Town Council received a proposal from Candy Early to make the "hole" a 41 space paved parking lot. Then, in September, Richard Eaton presented his proposal to make the "hole" a half and half compromise with 24 parking spaces and green space. Mr. Eaton's CAD drawing appeared in the Courier Record days later. Also at this meeting, as scheduled, DBi got to present the proposal that a committee of citizens put together at the request of the Town several months ago. Mr. Gilmore described the planned space at the September meeting and the actual CAD drawing was presented at the October 5th continued meeting of Town Council Meeting (see DBi's proposal below).
These are all the plans that have been proposed for the "hole" or "town square" at this time:
Jack Hodge Drawing (back half parking/front half green space)
This plan was developed by the Town Manager after meeting with the owners of Blackstone Coffee & Bistro to prevent cars from entering the proposed parking area off of Main Street and crossing a sidewalk to do so (as would be the case in both Mrs. Early's and Mr. Eaton's proposals).
Below is the research that DBi's proposal was based upon
All four of the designs proposed have been forwarded to Frazier Associates Architects for evaluation. This firm works with the Virginia Main Street program providing design services for participating communities. Town Council voted to wait for a recommendation from Frazier Associates prior to making the final decision on which option to pursue.
Ten Pertinent facts
1. The $40,000 used by the town to acquire its share of the "hole" was from the CDBG funds provided by DHCD.
2. The Town leases the remainder of the area from the owners of Blackstone Coffee & Bistro
3. The CDBG project had the development of the "hole" as its top priority in order to eliminate blight and once the highest and best use (erecting a building) was not feasible, DHCD agreed to fund the development of a green space that could provide an LMI (Low to Moderate Income) benefit such as reading to children or showing movies.
4.The owners of the Bistro agreed to allow the Town to lease their part of the property to develop the area into a "green space" based on the discussions the Town had with DHCD. That is when the town asked DBi to develop plans for a green space getting input from various citizens and DBi formed a committee for this purpose.
5. DHCD has appropriated $68,000 of additional grant funding (no match required) for the development of the green space.
6. Neither DHCD nor Virginia Main Street support developing the space into a parking lot due to the ramifications this would have on downtown revitalization (see links to articles below for details).
7. There are 393 parking spaces in downtown Blackstone and 270 are already north of Elm Street.
8. There is a possibility that two lots that were formerly Larry's Car Land will be made available for additional parking at no charge if needed. The owner is looking into liability issues. In other words, there may exist alternatives to address this issue that are less drastic and less expensive.
9. To put in a parking lot, the Town would forgo $68,000 and may have to repay the $40,000 used to acquire the part they bought in addition to finding the money to put in the surface lot which Mr. Palmore estimated at over $100,000 based on Richard Eaton's plan.
10. Additionally, the Town would have to purchase the part of the property now being leased from the owners of the Bistro if they want to put a parking lot on it.
The Issue of Parking
Quite a lot has been said and written over the past few months concerning the need and/or desire to make more parking available in our downtown district. DBi has intentionally avoided taking a position because people on both sides of the issue are so passionate about their viewpoints that taking sides is likely to alienate the very people whose support is vital to our organization. The merchants, community leaders and stakeholders at the heart of this issue are our constituents and we value everyone’s right to voice their opinion.
We have researched this issue, however, and thought that you might be curious to know what the Main Street perspective is on this topic. Some may not know much about the Main Street program. This approach to revitalizing downtowns across the country has been a model for breathing new life into struggling towns throughout America for many years. Blackstone is a Designated Virginia Main Street community which means that we have adopted the Main Street approach as the model to follow in order to revitalize our town. The value of the Main Street perspective lies in the fact that, as of 2008, over 2,050 communities nationwide have started Designated Main Street programs due to its track record of sustained revitalization success that dates back to 1985! The program is comprehensive and goes far beyond new paint on buildings to tackle all the many issues that are pertinent to long term revitalization.
By virtue of being a Designated Main Street community, volunteers from Blackstone get to attend ongoing trainings and DBi has access to the vast resources of Virginia Main Street and all its participating communities. It turns out that parking is perceived to be the biggest problem in all towns, not just ours. We present here several articles that show the findings of our research on downtown parking. As you read them, bear in mind that DBi did not draft these documents but we are simply making them available to give you a viewpoint based on the experience of an organization that has worked closely with thousands of other communities that have dealt with the exact same question. These are their conclusions and while you may or may not agree, we hope you find them enlightening.
Eleven Principles for Creating Great Community Places
Parking Management Innovative Solutions
Note: Because these are documents developed for use in other communities, some of the points, although well-taken, may not apply to our situation in Blackstone.
EARLY MORNING ACCIDENT
It was a rainy morning and I had just arrived at work on Friday, September 25th when I heard the sound of ambulance sirens and a portion of Main Street was blocked off between Tavern and Broad. I had no idea what the fuss was all about so I donned my hat and coat and walked up the street, camera in hand. I saw a pickup truck on the sidewalk parallel with the display windows in the Antiques Mall and someone had just been carted away in the ambulance. Butch's wrecker service was just about to hook up to the pickup and tow it away. I still didn't know what had happened at this point so I asked some rescue workers who told me that a man had a medical emergency and had hit the building. There was some minor damage done to a building but fortunately no one was hurt and it could have been worse. Click the link for pictures taken at the scene.
DRYCLEANER POSSIBILITIES
I think the biggest need locals have in Blackstone is for us to get a quality Drycleaner to set up shop here so that we don't have to cart our clothes 30 and 40 miles out of town for this basic service. Our local dollars are going to other neighboring communities with each shirt, suit, dress or other item we take elsewhere to dryclean. Well, I am happy to report that in recent weeks, I have had an inquiry from a local business owner and a private citizen that has been working closely with a consulting company that specializes in setting people up in this business.
Just as I was beginning to get excited, a call came in from another prospect who actually has been operating a drycleaner in a nearby town for the past 4 years and noticing the amount of business coming to him from Blackstone lately. He also recently opened a cleaners in North Carolina and owns a company that sells dry cleaning supplies. This gentleman was very familiar with Cavalier Cleaners because he sold supplies to them when they were in operation. We spoke on the phone and I passed along his telephone number to several property owners with vacancies. We set up an appointment and on Wednesday, November 18th, he came and met with me and I actually gave him a tour of the available properties and I am excited to report that he appears to be very serious about opening up a location in Blackstone and soon! Maybe before Christmas!! Keep your fingers crossed!
DBi is working very hard to make this a reality for our community!
Town and Country Cleaners have many available services: Click the image below for all the details:
TRAININGS
VIRGINIA MAIN STREET ESSENTIALS
On Wednesday, September 16, 2009 DBi was well represented at the Virginia Essentials training in Historic downtown Manassas. Joe Allman, Lafayette Dickens, Beth Winn, Barbara Gibbs, Grace McDonald and Beth Winters were all in attendance at the first day of the two day training! Hilary Greenberg, Principal, Greenburg Development Services was the presenter for Day one covering Economic Restructuring topics.
On Thursday, September 17th, Kathy Frazier of Frazier Associates did a presentation on Design Committee topics and a panel finished the day with presentations on Coordinating the CDBG program with Main Street. After a presentation by Keth Sherrill from the Virginia of Department of Housing and Community Development, program managers Catherine Stewart from Luray Downtown Initiative, Inc. and Lafayette Dickens, from DBi gave presentations as part of the panel representing various stages of completion of the CDBG process.
SPRING FEATURE
The VDDA Spring Feature took place on Wednesday and Thursday, May 27th and 28th. Louis Malon attended on Wednesday, and I attended on Thursday. Traveling to Harrisonburg gave me a chance to see another Main Street community and witness some of the successes they have had. I also heard several people first hand talk about how they implemented some changes to attract developers to their town. Also several developers shared with us projects they had completed that provided housing in the downtown core. We toured four developments from upper level housing over lower level retail to all out rehabbing of old warehouses to accomodate apartments for as many as 80 units. The grandfather of them all was the Urban Exchange which will house about 392 units in four 98 unit interconnected buildings in the heart of town.
SUMMER TOOLKIT
Virginia Main Street held their "Summer Toolkit" training on July 29th and 30th at the George Washington Hotel in Winchester, Virginia. Beth Winn, chairman of the Economic Restructuring Committee, attended the first day of the training. Joe Allman, Chairman, and Lafayette Dickens, Executive Director or DBi attended the sessions on the second day. Beth reported that one change in philosophy that is being promoted is getting away from sponsorships in favor of support coming to downtown organizations as donations in support of the overall mission rather than a fee for a service. This way, contributions do not affect the tax status of the organizations.
The second day was very interesting and Mr. Todd Christensen gave a very enlightening presentation on how to develop and project your community image. Other ideas brought back from a later session showed us an easy way to broadcast text messages to get the word out about things that are happening or communicate messages that get through since people who may not be able to get to a computer invariably have their cell phones with them at all times. These and many other interesting topics were covered at this training.
NOTTOWAY COUNTY TOURISM ASSESSMENT PLANNING WORKSHOPS
Nottoway County Tourism Assessment Planning Workshops were held on Tuesday August 4th and Thursday, August 13th from 9:30 a.m. to 4p.m. at the Camp Pickett officers club. These workshops were facilitated by Sandra Tanner, Development Specialist for Virginia Tourism Corporation. The workshops were attended by various citizens from every community in the county including, Morgan Quicke, Kelly Hatcher, Steve Ferguson, John Prosise, Ann Taylor Craig, Zora Bruce, Eddie Higgins, Ronnie Roark, Steve Bowen, Lafayette Dickens, and Joe Allman.
At the first session on August 4th, Mr. Roark presented a detailed packet that included all the annual events in the county, points of interest, and area and regional attractions. Once armed with the lay of the land, we brainstormed, as a group, which things need to be developed and identified a list of strengths, weaknesses, and areas of opportunity. Mrs. Tanner helped us to see how tourism impacts the local economy and is actually synonymous with Economic Development though it is never viewed in that way. Part of the challenge of making Tourism a higher priority is realizing its value in dollars and cents to a local economy.
At the second session on August 13th, Mrs. Tanner took all the input that we gave her in the first workshop and put it in a powerpoint which we reviewed. The group went over the outline point by point and established goals and initiatives that need to be pursued. Out of this time came the realization that we need to develop a Tourism Council that can focus on this on an ongoing basis. Sandra F. Tanner can be reached at stanner@virginia.org or (434) 757-7438.
ENTREPRENEUR EXPRESS WORKSHOP
On Wednesday, August 19th the Entreprenuer Express workshop was held from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Camp Picket Officer's Club. Tammy Farmer from VDBA (Virginia Dept. of Business Assistance) led off the meeting with information on available resources for starting a business. Sheri McGuire, Executive Director of the SBDC (Small Business Development Center) in Farmville gave a presentation on How to start and operate a business complete with businsss planning and strategy. Sandra Tanner, from Virginia Dept. of Tourism, spoke on Growing your Marketing Strategy. She elaborated on how her personal business uses similar strategies employed by VTC. Martha Walker, Ph.D. Community Viability Specialist, Central District wrapped up the workshop wit information on fincancing and managing resources as well as financing resources for business expansion. Bill Collins and Kimberly Broughton, from Citizens Bank were on hand and the experts relied on their input in making their presentations. Overall the workshop was very informative and well attended.
Virginia Main Street has launched a new blog that has good pertinent information for businesses in these tough economic times. Check it out at the following link:
Report from Main Street 2.0 Conference/Historic building rehabilitation tax credits 101/Keep your books in order/Focus and attitude/Homegrown Business/Economic gardening: part II/Get Noticed/Trading faces: Building and Caring for your online reputation/Virginia Main Street in the News/A Little Entrepreneurial fun/Making Lemonade/
DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNERS MEETING
DBi hosted its first quarterly meeting with the stakeholders in the Historical downtown district at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15th at the Fire station on Church street. 17 property and business owners attended as well as town councilmen, Duncan Quicke and Ben Green. The results from the business survey were shared and the chairman from each of the four committees addressed the attendees. Photo Gallery
NEW OFFICES NOW COMPLETE
For those of you who have not been by to visit, DBi is now headquartered at 107 W. Broad Street (click for a peek) next door to Gilmore Environmental. Come on by and check us out! So far each committee has held a meeting on the premises and everyone is tickled pink with the way the office turned out! Additionally, Joe Allman has moved into his New York Life office which is next door to DBi at 105 W. Broad Street. What was once the most blighted part of Blackstone is shaping up to be one of the nicest areas of town but don't take my word for it, just cruise down West Broad Street and see for yourself!
CONGRATULATIONS VOLUNTEERS!!
On Friday, March 20th, the Virginia Main Street Milestone Awards Banquet was held at the Thomas Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. Downtown Blackstone Incorporated was recognized for having achieved in acess of 1,000 volunteer hours (1,300) to be exact! Yours truly, was proud to be present to accept this award in your honor! BLACKSTONE'S VOLUNTEERS ARE GREAT!!
RURITAN CLUB MEETING 4/16/09
On Thursday, April 16th I met with the Ruritan club at Slaws Restaurant. After a delicious dinner, I gave a presentation about the history of the Main Street Program in general and DBi in particular. I also took the time to summarize the statistics of our first year which clearly illustrates the fact that DBi has been a great investment for the community and the Historic District. I brought along several before and after photos and updated the group on the progress of Revitalization. At the end of the presentation, I invited the group to become Ambassadors of Blackstone by volunteering time to either help with a one time event or by becoming a member of one of the four committees, Organization, Economic Restructuring, Promotions, or Design. Current Ruritan member, Beth Winn chairs the ER Committee and her husband and fellow Ruritan member serves on the Design Committee. Above is a picture of me with the Ruritan Club President, Gary Payne.