Small town success? Think BIG!

I attended a financing workshop yesterday, sponsored by the Creative Communities Initiative of ENC .  As with many workshops and group meetings, it consisted of printed sheets of information being distributed to the attendees and a follow-up discussion by the moderator with questions and comments from the group.

The printed sheets were very informative and I'm certain that I'll use some of the information provided but one comment made by a real estate developer from the Edenton area stuck clearly in my mind.

The group was discussing various means of financing a town waterfront project that not only provided parklike amenities and access to the water but would be home to a community arts and entertainment complex.  The real estate developer said, "that's easy, you find a real estate developer, get him to pay for the entire project by giving him the terms that the building will be 3 stories high,   the town gets the first floor for the arts complex and the developer puts condos on the 2nd and 3rd floors.

Ok, I live a relatively sheltered life and the concept WOWed me!   My mind is now racing with LARGER visions. The Royster-Clark building in Tarboro's downtown has been empty since Floyd's floodwaters covered its first floor.  I may be wrong but I think that the few apartments that exist in downtown Tarboro fill up quickly.  The upstairs of that building could easily be converted to apartments.  First floor has Main Street frontage so something commercial and attractive to visitors would be great. An artist cooperative perhaps?  I'll have to give this more thought, but the concept of getting a developer to pay for town improvements...hmm.