Effecting positive change in Five Points





2005 - Broad at Queen St., eastbound



Today - Broad at Queen St.,eastbound

 





  




1990's - Broad at First St., westbound

 



Today - Broad at First St.,westbound







  





1990's - old Wiggins property demolished
 Broad and First St., westbound



Today - Broad near First St., westbound









 





  

On April 17, Bob Mattocks, Swiss Bear Chairman, and I  attended the Board of Aldermen work session to present a request for an annual appropriation. The city has funded approximately one third of our budget since 1980 when we became a Main Street City, a program under the NC Department of Commerce.

Following our presentation, we were asked by Alderman Taylor why Swiss Bear’s focus has only been on downtown and not Five Points. We responded with a list of projects that were focused on Five Points. Although the list was substantial, including initiating, partially funding and coordinating the 1990 and 2000 Urban Design Plans that included Five Points and the surrounding neighborhoods and led to the city’s investment in building a new fire station, police station, buying the First Citizens Bank for city offices, purchasing and demolishing derelict housing and recent major improvements of 1.5 miles of Broad Street, he indicated it wasn’t enough. 

The fact is we are limited in what we can do. Our participation is dependent on the City, its implementation of a Master Plan and the commitment to follow through with the implementation. Private investors must feel confident the public sector has a plan and the commitment to make it happen.



The 1977 Downtown Revitalization Plan was the foundation of downtown’s renewal and the City supported the plan. The creation of a nonprofit (Swiss Bear) was recommended in the plan as a strategy to involve the private sector. The focus was the central business district, a 12 block area. It was an effort in which the impetus for economic development was primarily driven by the private sector and for the first decade occurred without significant public investment.  Most of the funding for downtown improvements came from assessments on the property owners themselves, federal and state grants and fundraising campaigns. Tax assessments on the property owners continues in the 12 block Municipal Service Tax District (MSD) to fund public improvements.  

In reality, effecting positive change in Five Points requires going beyond the core retail/commercial area. The area in need is much greater with many more challenges. The poverty rate in this area is the highest in a four county area. Education and jobs skill training is a critical need. Many buildings have been lost, there are large vacant tracts, retail and commercial is lacking and the area is in need of private investment. A program of rehabilitation, infill construction, and encouraging owner-occupancy needs to be undertaken to strengthen the neighborhoods. Improved infrastructure is needed in the areas north of Broad Street, streets need to be widened, more derelict housing demolished and new homes constructed.

This is beyond Swiss Bear’s scope. Quite simply, we do not have the authority or responsibility to lead the charge. We are committed to working with the city, however, the leadership in developing a plan and carrying out the recommendations and implementation must come from the city.  Our elected City officials, in particular those whose Wards are in this area, must be committed to doing what it takes to effect positive change in the greater Five Points area. It  requires public improvements, development incentives, the City’s long term commitment to create a quality environment and provide the necessary infrastructure to attract and sustain investment. Private sector support and investors must believe that local government is committed to carrying out a long-range plan. It will also require the support and commitment from business owners and property owners in the greater Five Points area. They too must be committed to the long haul…in the best of circumstances, the change will be incremental and take many years as it did in the downtown.



Fortunately, under the leadership of City Manager, Mike Epperson, a new planning effort is underway for Five Points and surrounding neighborhoods. This is a new planning effort with the help of Goody Clancy, consultants from Boston, MA. Its purpose is to develop realistic and implementation-focused revitalization strategies for both the commercial and residential parts of the study area. If the City adopts the plan, which should be presented to the Board of Aldermen in the near future, and they commit to going forward to implement it, Swiss Bear is committed to partnering with the city and directing our energy on projects that will make this revitalization effort a success.

Your comments are appreciated.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Executive Director