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Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc.
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About Elizabeth City
Downtown, Inc.
About Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc.
Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc. is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization that administers the Main Street Program, a downtown revitalization program. The Main Street Program was created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1980. Over 2,000 communities across the country in over 40 states coordinate the Main Street Program in their efforts to improve the viability of their central business districts. Now run under Main Street America, their mission is "to lead a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts." Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc. has been an accredited Main Street America community since 1988.
Elizabeth City is one of 110 communities in North Carolina that is designated as a NC Main Street Community. The NC Main Street Program is coordinated under the NC Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning Center, Rural Economic Development Division. We are managed by a volunteer board of directors, volunteer committees, and one full-time Executive Director who works closely with the City and County Managers to implement our goals. We recently added a second part-time staff member to assist the director. ECDI provides a return on investment to taxpayers through increased tax generation: local government receives increased tax revenue (from improved property values due to property enhancements) and both the City and County benefit from increased sales tax revenues. A healthy downtown also helps reduce sprawl and costly infrastructure, improves quality of life for residents, and gives the community a sense of historic identity.
Our Plan of Work:
The Main Street Program’s success is based on a comprehensive strategy of work - tailored to local needs and opportunities - in four broad areas, called the "Main Street Four Point Approach:"
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Design: Enhancing the physical appearance of the commercial district by rehabilitating historic buildings, encouraging supportive new construction, developing sensitive design management systems and long-term planning.
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Organization: Building consensus and cooperation among the many groups and individuals who have a role in the revitalization process.
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Promotions: Marketing the traditional commercial district’s assets to customers, potential investors, new businesses, local citizens, and visitors.
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Economic Vitality: Strengthening the district’s economic base while finding ways to expand it to meet new opportunities and challenges from outlying developments. Under the refreshed program definition, all of four points much contributed to Economic revitalization.
Our Main Street History & Success:
Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc. has been an accredited Main Street America community for 36 years (since 1988) and has been the active driver of downtown revitalization. Although board members and directors have changed over the years, the focus of the organization has always been the revitalization of downtown. Both public and private investment in the Downtown Central Business District (CBD) is important to its success. Here are some interesting facts:
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The ECDI Budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year was $311,000. 30% of the budget comes from City and County allocations and Municipal Service District tax; the remainder (70%) comes from fundraising efforts, grants, and donations.
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Since 2016, there has been over $81 million in investments made in the Downtown area -- $49,063,433 in private investment and $32,053,163 in public investment.
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In 2022-23 year, there was almost $15 million invested in the Downtown -- $12,389.500 in private investment and $2,467,000 in public investment.
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The tax value of properties in the Downtown area totals $97.4 million.
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There are 377 housing units in Downtown; 151 of those are new since 2019.
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The range of rents in downtown are between $1,000 and $2,000; averaging about $1,500.
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The estimated economic impact of people living in downtown is over $20 million.
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There are 221 active businesses in the Downtown area:
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18 Arts & Education
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7 Construction/Real Estate
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4 Entertainment
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11 Financial
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12 Government
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23 Health/Fitness & Beauty
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15 Healthcare
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7 Housing
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1 Manufacturing
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29 Dining & Drinks
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45 Service
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33 Shopping & Retail
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4 Transit
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6 Worship
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6 Other
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There are 20 (and growing) pieces of public art
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There are 34 public art/bike rack pieces
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Parking -- There are 2165 parking spaces in the Downtown Central Business District
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875 free public parking spots - 418 in public lots and 457 parallel spots.
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880 free spaces in lots available for specific businesses/parks (Ex: Museum of the Albemarle, Harbor Centre, Charles Creek Park)
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276 Private Commercial spaces
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134 Private Residential spaces
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More spaces will be added with the Water Street Transformation Project and the Water Street Road Diet Project.
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Our Mission Statement:
The ECDI office will be a catalyst of revitalization, acting as a central resource for potential investors, visitors and residents interested in our historic waterfront downtown. Our organization functions on the belief that Elizabeth City should be an attractive and healthy community and the community must dynamically and persistently pursue economic and cultural development with a supportive political climate. Elizabeth City Downtown envisions downtown Elizabeth City and its waterfront as a premier destination for unique, specialty shopping, dining and cultural events, continuing to enhance Elizabeth City’s legacy as the “Harbor of Hospitality”.
Our Volunteers:
Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc. could not serve our community well without the service of volunteers, whether they be our volunteer board members or volunteers for events and activities. Our biggest need for volunteers is during our annual NC Potato Festival event, where hundreds of volunteers are needed in order for the event to happen; however, we need help throughout the year with downtown cleanup and beautification efforts such as watering flowers, weeding, gardening, trash pickup, painting, and also with special projects. If you would like to volunteer, please call or email assistant@elizabethcitydowntown.com or 252-338-4104.
Our Leadership
The ECDI Bylaws state that the ECDI Board of Directors shall be composed of not less than nine or more than sixteen voting members. The Board currently has fifteen voting board members and six non-voting ex-officio members. The voting members represent downtown businesses, downtown property owners, residents, City Council, County Commissioners, and people interested in the betterment of downtown. The ex-officio members represent the US Coast Guard, the Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Elizabeth City, Pasquotank County, the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County Economic Development Commission, and Visit Elizabeth City (Tourism). Board of Directors receive no compensation for their service, but may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses associated with service. Terms are two years in length. Board members may serve up to three consecutive terms.
The ECDI Board of Directors Meetings regularly on the third Thursday of every month at 8:00 am in the Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc. office at 201 E. Main Street, Elizabeth City, NC. The meetings are open to the public.
Meet Our Staff
Support Opportunities
Main Street Program
We Are a Proud NC Main Street Designated Community
North Carolina Main Street Rural Planning Center
The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center is North Carolina's state coordinating program for Main Street America. The NC Main Street staff are charged by the NC Department of Commerce to facilitate downtown economic development, using the Main Street America Four Point Approach, in designated communities. The Main Street Approach™ is centered around economic development strategies that will transform downtown. These strategies articulate a focused path to revitalizing or strengthening a downtown economy. Designated NC Main Street community's work is organized around the Four Point Approach: Economic Vitality, Design, Promotion, and Organization.
The selection process is competitive. The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center's Downtown Associate Community is the first step towards the NC Main Street Designation. Communities are selected every other year via a competitive application process. North Carolina municipalities, with an identifiable traditional downtown business district and a certified population under 50,000 are eligible to apply to the Center for services under the Downtown Associate Community program. Selected communities will receive three years of downtown revitalization technical assistance services from the NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center and may have the opportunity to move up to Main Street designation upon successful completion of the program.
Learn More: NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center
The National Main Street Program | Main Street America™
Main Street America™ has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts for more than 35 years. Today it is a network of more than 1,600 neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, who share both a commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, Main Street America represents the broad diversity that makes this country so unique. Working together, the programs that make up the Main Street America network help to breathe new life into the places people call home.
Main Street America is a mark of distinction. It is a seal, recognizing that participating programs, organizations, and communities are part of a national movement with a proven track record for celebrating community character, preserving local history, and generating impressive economic returns. Since 1980, over 2,000 communities have been part of Main Street, bringing renewed energy and activity to America’s downtowns and commercial districts, securing $61 billion in new investment creating more than 525,000 net new jobs and rehabilitating 251,000 buildings.
Main Street America is a time-tested strategy. Main Street America communities are encouraged to make use of a time-tested approach, known as the Main Street Approach. The Main Street Approach is rooted in a commitment to broad-based community engagement, a holistic understanding of the factors that impact the quality of life in a community, and strategic focus on the core principles of downtown and neighborhood revitalization: Economic Vitality, Quality Design, Effective Promotion, and Sustainable Organization.
Learn More: Main Street America
As a Main Street America™ Accredited program, Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc. is a recognized leading program among the national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities that share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. All Main Street America™ Accredited programs meet a set of National Accreditation Standards of Performance as outlined by Main Street America.
Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc. is a North Carolina Main Street community, designated by the N.C. Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning Center. Elizabeth City Downtown, Inc. is charged with administering the program at the local level and building public-private partnerships to spur economic development that achieves measurable results such as investment, business growth, and job creation.
