Downtowns across the country have been on the decline as businesses have closed or moved to retail hubs outside the once vibrant areas.
Christiansburg is no exception, but town leaders hope to change all of that or at least reverse it on a small scale, with a new affiliation with Virginia’s Main Street program.
Mayor Michael Barber said the downtown area has very few vacancies, which is wonderful, but he would like to see more businesses that remain open past 5 p.m. and on weekends to really make the downtown area a leisure destination for our residents and families.
“In the past, we did have more food and service options downtown, and I’d like to see these types of businesses return. With all of the businesses and the government buildings downtown—both the town’s and the county’s—there are so many employees who get off around 5 p.m. and would love to stay in the area for dinner and entertainment. We have a resource in the amount of daytime workers who are located downtown and who can support these types of businesses, venues and entertainment options,” he said.
The agreement was approved Tuesday night which town council hopes will provide a shot in the arm for the downtown business district. The community will have to be approved for the affiliation status, but it’s not expecting any problems with the application.
Christiansburg like Barber said, has most of its downtown storefronts occupied, but not by typical small retail business. Instead offices, service providers and retailers, like medical supply companies, have located there.
“I think downtown Christiansburg in the future has retail, entertainment, programming and dining options and an increase in available residential or mixed-use properties. We want to encourage people to not only shop, dine and play downtown, but also live downtown. I think a main takeaway is that we want to help encourage small business development throughout downtown and our older commercial areas,” Barber said.
According to the town’s public information officer, the commercial district affiliate status through Virginia Main Street is one of many steps the town is taking to re-establish downtown as an active destination center for the community.
“Participation in the Affiliate Program does not commit the town to any expenditures. Selection as a Commercial District Affiliate will provide the town access to all Virginia Main Street training materials and limited on-site assistance.,” town spokesperson Melissa Demmitt said.
The much longer name for the Main Street program, which was started in the early 80’s to help localities reverse economic and physical decline in traditional downtowns and neighborhood business districts, is the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development Commercial District Affiliate Program.
Virginia was the 15th state to become part of the bigger effort when the Virginia Main Street Program was introduced in 1985. The Commonwealth currently has 29 designated Main Street communities and another 70-plus affiliates.
Radford was a part of the program in the early 90s but dropped its affiliation a short time later. Wytheville is the closest Virginia Main Street community to Christiansburg. Other communities include: Abingdon, Bristol, Marion, South Boston and Danville.
Across the country, more than 2,200 communities from 40-plus states including Boston, San Diego, Baltimore and Boston, are involved with the program.
Main Street staff provide training, technical assistance, networking opportunities, access to state and national experts, customized design assistance and ongoing public relations and marketing.
The success rate of the program can be seen across the board. Economic numbers from 1985 to 2015 show $897 million of private investment in building rehabilitations has taken place in Main Street communities.
Nationwide more than $65.6 billion of public and private investment has been made in Main Street communities.
The affiliate status does not require the community to have a full-time Main Street director, while still receiving much of the same benefits.
In Tuesday’s decision, a resolution of participation said it is recognized that downtown revitalization requires an on-going commitment, continuous attention and a full public-private partnership.
One of specific keys in being an affiliate of the Virginia Main Street program is the availability of grants up to $7,000.
Already Christiansburg has unveiled a secondary grant program to provide up to $2,500 funding to owners in the downtown area for façade upgrades and possible displays of public art.
Ironically, Christiansburg saw its downtown slide backwards with the opening of a retail hub at the intersection of Route 114 (Peppers Ferry Road), which was around the same time the Main Street program was being launched.
The measure comes on the heels of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s announcement that Christiansburg is nominated as one of 212 Opportunity Zones to the U.S. Department of Treasury.
“Opportunity zones are an important federal tool to spur vitality in economic growth in communities across Virginia and we are committed to using them fully in this administration,” said Northam. “By focusing on local and regional strategies, as well as Virginia’s diverse geography and economic opportunities, we selected a balance of zones that align with other state and local economic development and revitalization efforts. This ensures that Virginia is at the forefront of attracting new Opportunity fund investments.”
The Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that passed last December included provisions for a new revitalization tool, the Opportunity Zone and Opportunity Fund. The zones and funds will allow investors to receive tax benefits on currently unrealized capital gains by investing those gains in qualified census tracts or “Opportunity Zones.”
Christiansburg zone extends down U.S. 11 into the Shawsville area. Blacksburg also received a similar nomination.
The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) coordinated the nomination input process with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP).
“We received information from localities, potential investors and the general public throughout the Opportunity Zone nomination process, and we focused on maintaining proportionality based on regional economic development organization levels,” Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball said. “These nominations focus on local, regional and state priorities and ensure a strategic mix of zones with different types of revitalization needs and development opportunities for potential investors.”
Ball said Virginia’s Opportunity Zones are already areas of significant effort and focus at the state and local level and these zone nominations are intended to attract additional private investments.
