Angelica Ramos
Contributing Writer
CHRISTIANSBURG- Downtown Christiansburg Incorporated has been working for 20 years on making Christiansburg a hub for its community and visitors and hopes a Downtown Director would help further that mission.
Downtown Christiansburg Incorporated, DCI, wants to be part of the Main Street America program, which has been working to help build economic power in downtowns and other local commercial neighborhoods for over 40 years. Main Street America strives to help local economies thrive and bring shared prosperity into communities. Virginia has a state branch of this program called Virginia Main Street. DCI has town council support as well as community support to participate in these programs and begin to revitalize Downtown Christiansburg, but with a group of 20 volunteers, the pace of development is slower than originally hoped for. That would be where a Downtown Director would step in.
DCI president, Elli Travis, explained that a Downtown Director would be a point person for the revitalization of downtown Christiansburg. They would be a dedicated staff person who would help build up the community and downtown. The Downtown Director position would have to be paid because they would be the point of contact. Travis says the residents of Christiansburg want a more bustling downtown, connectivity and vibrancy in the community. Currently, DCI has been working with Virginia Tech to advertise the activities and happenings in downtown Christiansburg, but residents would like to see the vacant spaces in downtown be filled.
In 2018, DCI worked with volunteers to build Great Little Park at 100 West Main St. and fill it with native plants as a way to combat the stigma of having native plants in a formal garden. It is a step towards the goal of breathing new life into Historic Christiansburg. They took a vacant space and turned it into something for residents to enjoy. Residents can be seen reading, enjoying family time, or just taking a break in this garden.
The town council has voted to become an Exploring Community through the Mainstreet America program. A Downtown Director would help foster partnerships with the town, business, and local organizations to provide a downtown full of vibrancy, which is part of DCI’s mission. With all the work Christiansburg’s organizations and DCI do for the community, the hope is that a Downtown Director would connect those pieces together and adopt a holistic approach to the development of downtown and help restore and revitalize its history.
“In five years,” Elli Travis said, “I would like to see maybe three or four new retail businesses in downtown. Maybe more restaurants and a coffee shop. I’d love to see people walking, getting ice cream and playing in the parks. I’d like to see more pocket parks like Great Little Park with pockets of native plantings. More murals and a lot of art downtown, that would be wonderful. In 10 years, I’d like to see our community continue to grow.”
