About Us
Urban Development Division
The Urban Development Division is comprised of three programs: N.C. Main Street, Small Town Main Street and the Main Street Solutions Fund grant program. To view the 2011 Urban Development Division Annual Report, click here.
N.C. Main Street
The N.C. Main Street program assists selected communities across the state in restoring economic vitality to their historic downtowns. Using a comprehensive downtown revitalization process developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Main Street encourages economic development within the context of historic preservation.
Main Street staff provide technical assistance, guidance and training to participating communities. While grant funds for specific projects occasionally become available, Main Street is a self-help program, and it is up to local communities to provide the human and financial resources necessary to operate their downtown programs.
New Main Street communities are selected every three years through a competitive application process. Eligible communities must have a certified population under 50,000 and commit to hiring a full-time downtown manager and providing funding for operating the program for an initial three-year period.
Small Town Main Street
Based on the same concepts as the original Main Street program, Small Town Main Street offers downtown revitalization assistance to the state's very smallest communities. With offices in both eastern and western North Carolina, Small Town Main Street serves selected towns throughout the state that lack the resources to hire professional downtown managers. STMS staff work closely with committees within these communities, providing technical assistance and helping facilitate local initiatives in the areas of organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring.
The Small Town Main Street program selects new communities annually through a competitive application process. Eligible communities must have a certified population of less than 7,500.
Main Street Solutions Fund
The Main Street Solutions Fund provides economic development planning assistance and coordinated grant support to designated micropolitans located in Tier 2 and Tier 3 counties and to active North Carolina Main Street communities.
Additional Information
For N.C. Main Street, contact:
Liz Parham, Director
Urban Development
4313 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4313
lparham@nccommerce.com
(919) 571-4900
FAX: (919) 571-4951
For Small Town Main Street, contact:
Bob Murphrey, Coordinator (East)
Small Town Main Street
127 Cardinal Drive Ext.
Wilmington, NC 28405
rmurphrey@nccommerce.com
(919) 218-2934
or
Sherry Adams, Coordinator (West)
Small Town Main Street
31 College Place, Building B
Asheville, NC 28801
sadams@nccommerce.com
(828) 251-6914
For Main Street Solutions Fund, contact:
Ben Murphrey, Grant Administrator
4313 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4313
(919) 571-4900
bmurphrey@nccommerce.com
National Trust for Historic Preservation®, Main Street® and Four-Point Approach® are registered trademarks of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.