BY MARK WINEKA
SALISBURY POST

Downtown merchants, property owners and local officials celebrated 20 years of redevelopment in Salisbury’s central business district Tuesday evening.

Taken as a whole, downtown Salisbury still represents Rowan County’s biggest retail center. Here are some important numbers related to the central business district:

• In the past 20 years, the downtown has seen roughly $52 million worth of redevelopment, including $2 million in the past year.
• At this moment, more than $10 million in projects are under construction.
• 97 percent of first floors in downtown Salisbury are occupied.
• The downtown has welcomed 15 new businesses within the past year.
• The Salisbury/Spencer Trolley Works successfully raised $215,000 toward the purchase and operation of two trolleys, which will begin operation within the next month. During peak seasons, a trolley will run in Salisbury Thursday to Sunday and, in off seasons, on weekends.
• Downtown Salisbury Inc. is about to complete a downtown master plan, for which $120,000 was raised. The plan addresses things such as marketing, special events, parking and traffic patterns. Executive Director Randy Hemann said the master plan will soon be made available for public comment.
• Downtown Salisbury Inc.’s holiday decorations committee has raised $37,500 in recent years to provide new downtown decorations, including 28 angels and 45 stars. Every pole in the downtown will have a decoration this year, Hemann said.
• The downtown redevelopment under way includes the 18,000-square-foot Gateway building, which will be the new home for the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Economic Development Commission.

Chamber officials agreed to a change in its building plans that preserved three buildings at the corner of Depot and East Innes streets, which are now filled with new tenants.

• More than 1,500 volunteer hours went into downtown redevelopment during the past year.

“Let me say, overall, that the state of the downtown is good,” Hemann said Tuesday.

Salisbury Square’s new wine cellar, coffee and dessert bar in the basement at 111 S. Main St. served as backdrop for Downtown Salisbury Inc.’s 20th annual meeting. Von Poston and John Shuler held a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony for the basement enterprise, with the help of Mayor Susan Kluttz.

The night included wine tasting, hor d’oeuvres and cappuccino. It also left time for awards and an official welcome to the 15 new downtown businesses.

Mike Fuller, serving the last of his six years as chairman, was honored as Downtown Salisbury Inc. director of the year. That honor recognizes directors who especially use their commitment and talents for the downtown outside the board room.

The new businesses include Shannon’s at 218 S. Main St., Video Image Concepts at 113A E. Council St., Yellow Book USA at 205 E. Council St., Computer Basics at 100 W. Innes St., Cyber Technology at 124 W. Innes St., Behavior Resources at 205 E. Council St., Specialized Computer Support at 110 E. Council St., Premier Development at 205 E. Council St., Memories in Time at 110 E. Innes St., Main Street Cafe at 127 N. Main St., Doug Jones Insurance at 214 E. Innes St., The Cajun Sun (formerly Coffee Cove) at 105 E. Fisher St., The Party Connection at 121 S. Main St., Just Kids Consignment at 107 E. Innes St. and R&L Consignment at 118 N. Main St.

Fuller handed out appreciation awards to Richard and Deborah Morefield for their promotional video of Salisbury and Rowan County; to Ed Harris, for his renovation of the Cheerwine Building at 322 E. Council St.; to Doug Jones, for renovations at 214 E. Innes St.; to Michael and Diane Young, for renovations at 212 E. Innes St.; to Neal Sansovich, for redevelopments at 205 E. Council St. and 113 E. Council St.; to Lane and Sunny Yates for renovations at 123 N. Main St.; to Poston and Shuler for their basement renovation; to the Salisbury-Rowan Merchants Association, for its efforts at the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association building; to the Loflin family for renovations at 133 S. Main St.; and to Frank Goodnight for establishing the Salisbury/Spencer Trolley Works.

Fuller also recognized “projects in progress,” including The Gateway; F&M Bank in the 200 block of North Main; the renovation of the former Flowers Bakery loading dock as offices for attorneys Shelby, Doran & Pethel; and the Waterworks Visual Arts Center, which plans to move to East Liberty Street.