Main Street Solutions Grant - Updte on old Pak A Sak Building Renovation

Old Pak A Sak
under renovation

Gutted Interior

Last March we were happy to report two downtown projects submitted in January through the City for a NC Main Street Solutions grant for $100,000 was being funded. Swiss Bear and the City Planning Department worked with Haroldson Properties to acquire the grant to assist with the renovation of what is referred to as the old Pak A Sak building (a small grocery chain in New Bern for many years) on East Front Street and the expansion and improvement to the retail area in the Bank of the Arts.

The Haroldson property has been under renovation since April for lease to David Blythe as an annex to the Branches Furniture Store on Pollock Street. Work included demolition and gutting of the interior of the building, removal of the huge walk in cooler, replacing all electrical and plumbing systems, cutting into the brick façade to allow for new thermal windows that extend to the concrete floor, suspended ceilings, new light fixtures, wall to wall carpeting and last, but not least, the graffiti on the exterior of the building removed.

Effective October 5, David Blythe, third generation owner of Branches, will sign a five year lease. He is very happy as the addition of 9,000 square feet of downtown showroom space  allows the introduction of two new product lines –  mattress and outdoor living galleries. David said ”he has been waiting for years to have another showroom within walking distance of the original store. Branches walk-in traffic downtown is five times more than it ever was in the previous annex location on Highway 70 East”.

He is hiring three new employees (meets the terms of one new employee for every $25,000 of MSS grant money) and is grateful to Swiss Bear, the City, Haroldson Properties and the state for making the renovation of the building possible.

Swiss Bear is pleased the NC Main Street Solutions Fund Program made it possible to renovate a long standing vacant building, expand a downtown family business and the downtown retail mix, create three new jobs and enhancing the East Front Street gateway and corridor into downtown. 



Nearing completion



David Blythe, Owner
Branches Furniture Store




Susan Moffat Thomas
Executive Director