CHINA GROVE — Downtown China Grove is in the middle of a major facelift that has spurred some criticism online prompting a response from town officials.

Numerous concerns focused on costs and disruptions caused by the construction which is designed to increase walkability and safety in the downtown area.

“A big problem we had is communication,” Mayor Rodney Phillips said. “This has been going on for three years, but people just don’t know. They should not be faulted for that.”

Grant funding for the streetscape project dates back to 2022, when China Grove was on the receiving end of nearly $700,000 from a North Carolina Rural Transformation Grant, specifically one for downtown revitalization. According to a press release from the state from that year, the downtown revitalization category “supports downtown development initiatives that help grow and leverage a community’s commercial core into an asset for economic growth and prosperity.”

At the process’ conclusion, Phillips is optimistic the project will create that environment.

“The end product is going to be something that the town could be really proud of,” he said. “It will bring more people downtown to shop and dine and hang out in our parks and experience events.”

Creating an inviting downtown experience for residents present and future is part of why the town desires to implement these changes.

“The demographics of our town are changing,” Phillips said. “There are so many people moving here now. They are young. They want the things they want. They want to be able to walk downtown. That is what is going to bring them to our town and help our town continue to grow.”

According to the latest census, China Grove’s median age is 34.7. The town is also growing year over year by nearly a percent.

There are actually two Rural Transformation Grants involved that made the project possible. In addition to the downtown revitalization one, China Grove also received one for community capacity. That grant was worth $49,999 and funded the planning of the project.

Town Manager Franklin Gover said a third grant was an appropriation from the North Carolina General Assembly.

“We worked with Rep. (Kevin) Crutchfield and Senator Carl Ford and they were able to secure $825,000 as a direct appropriation from the state,” Gover said.

Gover indicated that the project is expected to be completed by mid summer.

“The bulk of the project is scheduled to be done before Farmers Day,” he said. “The bulk that everybody is concerned about is scheduled to be done by June 6. There is a lot left to be done, some work could stretch and we may have to clean up afterward but the bulk of it should be done by June 6.”

Three-fold benefits

As explained by the mayor, a major consideration behind the project is safety for pedestrians and motorists alike.

“Although the speed limit downtown is 25 mph, people drive over 45 mph through town,” Phillips said. “That is unsafe, and we have too many accidents downtown. The changes will force people to slow down and will put a focus on safety as more people will be outside enjoying our downtown.”

Additionally, the project aims to enhance aesthetics.

“The downtown corridor will be much more appealing to the eye once complete, should encourage more people to visit our downtown, shop, dine and invest, which benefits our town,” Phillips said.

Lastly, the components of walkability and social interaction come into play.

“Before this, we had zero crosswalks downtown, and our downtown wasn’t friendly to walkers, and didn’t promote social interaction,” Phillips said. “These changes will improve the walkability of downtown for families and will enable social interaction.”

Gover echoes the mayor’s sentiments.

“The streetscape represents a significant investment into downtown and it is designed to help and invite people to walk downtown and to visit our shops and restaurants and do it safely,” Gover said. “We don’t want anybody to get hit trying to go get dinner. We want to support our businesses and residents the best we can and downtown, that means investing in infrastructure.”

The mayor added that he knows the project is not popular with everyone, but urges those naysayers to reconsider their position.

“It is not lost on me personally nor the town council or staff that some people do not want this,” Phillips said. “As our town evolves and the demographics of our town changes, I believe this will be a great thing for our town and will provide our citizens and visitors an experience that they won’t find in most places.”