Residential, office and retail spaces are in demand.

New businesses continue to seek available, leasable space to start-up new or expand into.

Newcomer investors to downtown Kinston are actively seizing the opportunities to acquire buildings and lease spaces, investing significantly in the rehab and remodeling to meet the demands as well as fuel the new vibe downtown.

At the moment, new activity downtown includes several new businesses opening or expanding, activity in South Queen below King Street, a suite of new offices in the former Christopher’s Café along with several brand-new market rate apartments, and the latest sale of downtown real estate, the Kinston Enterprise Center, to another local entity.

These, along with the new, periodic difficulty of parking (a great problem to have) are strong indicators of positive, collective accomplishments that are resulting in more businesses, more jobs, increased revenues and a strengthening of our downtown thanks to the collective efforts of those who understand that a healthy, vibrant downtown is important to the well-being of our community.

In other news, the DK Design Committee was recognized as Downtown Champions in March by North Carolina Main Street for their unwavering dedication and labor to make downtown look good, with special mention of the Shirley Herring Memorial Garden at Mitchell and W North Streets that was key to transforming this intersection into an attractive gateway/entry into the epicenter of downtown and better connected downtown to Pearson Park which is our downtown front yard. An intersection mural and creative crosswalks remain to be done.

The Design Committee is currently working on the plans for a similar project; the redesign of the All American City Park at Blount and Queen Streets. Plans are to transform the entire sterile concrete area and large brick planter into an inviting, welcoming plaza that includes new plants, benches and other things that will be announced as plans solidify. A fundraiser for this major, multi-phase project will soon kick-off. One thing proposed is to remove the old concrete and replace it with bricks to create an overall cohesive installation. We hope we can count on your support. The park will be rededicated as the Buddy and Mary Mac Ritch All American City Park.

We still have work to do. Regardless of all the positive momentum, we still have a number of empty, neglected. under-utilized and hazardous properties in the MSD that continue to negatively impact property values, undermining the efforts of many who have and are investing large sums of time and money improving our community. These particular properties perpetuate negative impressions of our community, some have damaged exterior components that pose a safety threat, while others have open and broken windows that let in water and pigeons, and leaking roofs that cause interior structural damage that can and have led to collapse as well as severe mold infestation. We hope soon our neglected buildings ordinance will be addressed and begin to be enforced.