SALISBURY — Downtown Salisbury Inc. honored recently retired city manager Dave Treme at its annual meeting Thursday.
Mark Lewis, vice president of Downtown Salisbury board of directors, called Treme a servant leader who believed in planning and in 25 years as city manager was part of two downtown master plans and more than $100 million in investment.
Lewis recited a litany of downtown projects Treme helped along or oversaw, including the renovation of the Plaza, Salisbury Station and Flowers Bakery; new construction such as the Gateway Building and FireHouse Urban Lofts; the expansion of city hall and the police station; and physical improvements at a number of locations, including the Fisher Street Entertainment District and the Freedman’s Cemetery Memorial.
Lewis said Treme recognized historic preservation as an economic development strategy and supported the establishment of a local historic district downtown. And his encouragement helped make successful new committees for public art and the farmers market, as well as the Downtown Salisbury revolving fund.
The organization also recognized a number of individuals, businesses and organizations. They are:
• Nate Spicer, volunteer of the year. Spicer began volunteering as a student at Salisbury High School and a member of the school’s Air Force JROTC program. For several years, he has attended most Downtown Salisbury events, helping make sure barricades, tables and chairs are set up and that the events move smoothly.
• Pete Bogle, director of the year. Bogle is a “behind the scenes” person, organizers said, who serves as head of the Design Master Plan Committee and he was the architect of the new master plan adopted in 2010. Organizers called the master plan “the most difficult project ever undertaken by a volunteer and his committee” at Downtown Salisbury.
For renovations, awards went to:
• Josh and Lynne Harrell for Sweetest Thing, 121 E. Innes St.
• Bruce and Jackie Wilson for the facade at Fine Frame Gallery, 105 S Main St.
Special recognitions went to:
• Salisbury High Air Force JROTC for the program’s assistance at Night Out events.
• Rowan County United Way for its campaign kick-off which for five years has brought “additional fun and excitement” to the September Night Out event.
• BB&T Sunset Run 5K, which had 300 registrations in its second year and was designated an N.C. 5K championship race.
• Miller Davis Agency for its annual Brick Street Live concert series, which Downtown Salisbury said was taken “to a new level” with the assistance this year of Randall Barger.
• Public Art Committee for the third annual Salisbury Sculpture Show, which Downtown Salisbury called “yet another successful show of temporary sculptures around downtown and at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.”
• Salisbury Farmers Market board of directors for the market, which “continues to attract more vendors of locally grown food and locally made products and more shoppers to their downtown location.”
• The holiday marketing campaign; the Rowan County Tourism Development Authority and the Salisbury Tourism & Cultural Development Commission’s Joint Marketing Committee “provided the leadership and funding to drive a successful downtown holiday shopping season.”
Downtown Salisbury also recognized Dick Huffman as an outgoing board member. Huffman served on the organization’s board of directors from 2005 to 2011 and is its past president.
A moment of silence was held for John Watkins, longtime owner of downtown business Watkins Fitness, and an award presented in Watkins’ memory to his son John Watkins Jr.