Jun 22

Jun 22 Leon Steele: Did you know? Part 2

Original photo credit: Lindsay Corrigan

Did you know the condition and vibrancy of a downtown (or neighborhood) is a barometer of community health and attitude?

Not long ago, downtown looked pretty much like this abandoned warehouse at McLewean and Blount. As far as first impressions go, this was not a good one, especially to someone considering investing in or moving to Kinston. Repurposing this 55,000 sf building into a small conference center/large event space is one of our long-term goals. We believe it will bring tremendous economic benefit for us all as well as be an important transformative project for downtown and the Municipal Service District on that side of Queen Street.

But look at us now. Hard work and a handful of dedicated and determined private citizens saw the potential of revitalizing our downtown decades ago, and set about creating a groundswell movement that has resulted 35 years later in a downtown that makes a much more positive impression, a place people want to enjoy. Kinston is once again a destination.

As you can see from these images, our current vibe and attitude is quite different now. But regardless of all the headway made to get us to this point, the job is not complete.

We still have much work to do; lots more opportunities to address. Revitalization does not end because we become comfortable at a certain point in the endeavor. We must grow our population, create jobs, begin new construction again. We cannot be complacent and rest on our laurels. The momentum must be maintained.

Downtowns declined with the growth of the suburbs, urban renewal, construction of Interstate highways and bypasses. Department stores that once anchored our downtown reinvented themselves from the urban business model to fit the suburban mall model. Now the malls are dying and the large retailers are fading away, but downtowns across the county are experiencing a renaissance as they become the hip and cool places to live and work. Downtown Kinston is part of this movement. It is now a hot spot in Lenoir County with a vibe of its own, a diverse collection of many businesses that also employ locals, and leasable spaces are rarely available. If we listed the businesses in downtown Kinston most readers would be surprised at the number and variety. Downtown Kinston remains an economic hub for Lenoir County.