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By Shelley Smithssmith@salisburypost.com

Salisbury's downtown ranks third in the state in per-capita retail and restaurant sales, behind only Asheville and Wilmington, Downtown Salisbury Inc. officials told the Salisbury City Council on Wednesday.

But the downtown and its economy can get even better — particularly with improvements in the Railwalk Arts District and stricter parking regulations — the council heard during its annual planning retreat, which concludes today.

Downtown Salisbury presented highlights of its Downtown Master Plan to the council on the first day of the retreat. One point of the plan was the need to improve the streetscape in the Railwalk Arts District, including sidewalk renovations and infrastructure upgrades.

Making those improvements, Downtown Salisbury officials project, could yield 160 new jobs and $7 million to $10 million in business investment, with prospective tenants including restaurants, artists and office users.

"The better it looks, the more people want to invest," Downtown Salisbury Executive Director Randy Hemann said. "At some point, we decide we've got to start doing one block per year."

Hemann urged the council to "think of this area as an economic engine. It's proven itself worthwhile already."

In 2009, Downtown Salisbury President Paula Bohland said, the Railwalk Arts District produced 35 jobs through artists, businesses and the Black Box Theater.

"Today, who would have ever thought?" Bohland said of the development of the arts district.

Downtown Salisbury's master plan also foresees a city parking ordinance that would target repeat offenders.

According to Downtown Salisbury, the Salisbury Police Department writes an average of 250 tickets per month, with more than half of those being generated by the same 28 people.

The 28 violators are not shoppers or visitors and their continued illegal use of the spaces cost downtown businesses at least $100,000 per year in retail sales, the downtown organization estimates.

"It's a huge economic impact on our town," Hemann said.

Downtown Salisbury officials also mentioned the Empire Hotel, assuring the council the developer remained committed to the project.

"We've got a lot of work to do, but there's hope," Hemann said.

Fiber-optic cable

The council also got an update on the city's fiber-optic cable project, with the name of the service still up in the air.

The service will provide more than 400 channels, including Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point stations, as well as telephone and Internet service.

City officials have targeted May 31 as the completion date for fiber-optic cable installation, with the network going citywide by Aug. 1.

The cost will be lower for customers who bundle two or three services together. And with no contracts, customers may cancel at any time.

"Customer service must be top notch," said Len Clark, marketing director for the service.

The name of the network has not been made official, but "has to be marketable nationwide and internationally," Clark said, as Ericsson is determined to use Salisbury as its springboard for fiber optics.

A mobile unit has been designed to market the service curbside.

The mobile trailer will feature computer stations and a living room setting featuring everything the city's fiber-optic cable service offers.

"We can roll it into neighborhoods, have small block parties and have people see what a difference it provides," said Mike Crowell, the city's broadband services director.

The council planning retreat resumes this morning at 8 a.m.