News
From the Director's Desk
Blackstone is a dynamic little town and has a lot on the ball in a whole lot of ways. I continue to be most impressed by the citizenry who are so actively involved in the things that are going on with the business of the town! The dynamic here is rare! There are so many who have had a stake in the way the town has come alive in the last three years that I often describe our revitalization as "the perfect storm" of events and people coming together in one place at the same time to effect positive change on a town and an entire community! Yes, we have squabbles, but that is because there is no shortage of passion and although there are differences of opinions, in most cases, it seems to work out for the long term good and that is what matters most in the end. Some projects are delayed in coming to fruition but that is the price of taking the public's input into serious consideration and not just charging forward and ignoring the cry of the people! Scroll down for a synopsis of what all has been going on month by month.
CLICK FOR PHOTO GALLERY OF COMPLETED FACADES (Mission Accomplished)!!!!
These include the H.L. Jackson Building, the Allman properties at 105 and 107 W. Broad Street, Blackstone Emporium, the Blackstone Antiques Mall, and 106 N. Main, the Blackstone Herb Cottage and many more.
Town Square Plans (Have you seen them? Here they are)
BIG NEWS: New Apartments and Commercial spaces being built in the downtown district
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION UPDATE
January
- Each Committee had its first meeting of the year and laid out plans for 2011
- Yearend reports were sent to Virginia Main Street as required
- The Virginia Main Street Managers' Retreat was held in Winchester Virginia
- Governor McDonnell shared his plans for Workforce Development at a roundtable discussion held at the Alberta campus of SVCC
The procedure for signs and property improvements (Design Guidelines)
Below is something new that I recently added to the site that might interest you. This is a link to many pictures of what Blackstone looked like back from the early 1900s up through the early 80s. It is interesting to see some of the buildings that are still here and some of those that have been lost or altered over time. If you are up for a little nostalgia click the thumbnail and take a trip to the past.
Old Photos of Historic Blackstone
WHAT NEW BUSINESS WILL MOST LIKELY SUCCEED IN DOWNTOWN BLACKSTONE?
I get asked this a lot and it is a very good question. The research done by the marketing firm of Arnett Muldrow seeks to answer that very question in the following summary:
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