Economic Development
Go Antiquing Downtown!
One person’s attic is another person’s treasure. You never know what you will find or what special piece will have you reminiscing about your family until you join the treasure hunt downtown in a full-fledged antique search for one-of-a-kind collectables. All are in walking distance of one another, but you may want to drive a large truck or SUV to pack up your new dear to your heart riches at the end of the day. Tea sets, quilts, vintage clothing and jewelry and furniture are a few of the items that you can find on your trek through the district and here is where to find them:
- The Antique and Gift Mall is located at 123 Hay Street and is a good stop for furniture and decorative items for your home. Also, those hard to find lamps and lampshades are easy to find here as well as an excellent assortment of ornaments and figurines.
- J&D Antiques at 242 Hay Street has a wide selection of furniture and other collectables. Make sure to look in the jewelry cases for exceptional custom jewelry and pay attention to the shelves on the wall for various patterned dishes.
- Yankee Antiques and Reproductions is tucked away on Burgess Street, just behind J&D Antiques. This warm and inviting store features beautiful furniture and knick knacks as well as homemade candles and soaps.
- The Cotton Exchange at 226 Donaldson Street is somewhere you can spend an entire afternoon. There is something in every nook and cranny in this 7000 square foot antiques mall with more than 20 vendors sharing their unique collections and wares and on 4th Fridays, there are free rides around downtown on the Cotton Exchange Express so do not miss the train!
- The Livery, another collection of independent vendors set up like the Cotton Exchange, is located at 147 Maxwell Street and has a fantastic selection of art work, furniture, quilts and much more. Inventory is constantly changing so check back often to see the new pieces offered.
After you have finished your antiquing adventure, share a lunch at McDuff’s Tea Room and Emporium at 114 Gillespie Street. With tea served in old-fashioned cups, old fashioned recipes and a showroom with tea sets to purchase, this is the perfect locale to finish the day. And, of course, that is not your cup of tea; there are a variety of restaurants and other shops around to suit any interest. This is Downtown Fayetteville, after all!
Wow, do we have events downtown!
Most are familiar with the larger events we have downtown, but did you know that downtown hosts events almost every weekend, if not 2-3 events a weekend? Our downtown area is quite the entertainment district along with our fabulous restaurants, cute shops and museums. In case you are new to the area or just to downtown, here is a run-down of those larger favorites that get better year after year:
International Folk Festival
This colorful festival incorporates our community’s rich heritage and is designed to highlight all countries represented in the Fayetteville area. Every September, Hay Street lights up with the brilliant pageantry and color with the Parade of Nations followed by live entertainment, authentic cuisine at the International Café, unique arts and crafts, a children’s area and more. This year’s dates are Friday, Sept. 24 to Sunday, Sept. 26 so mark your calendars now! Visit www.theartscouncil.com/international-folk-festival for more information including volunteer opportunities.
4th Friday
4th Friday is a celebration of the arts in beautiful downtown Fayetteville. 4th Friday has expanded this year to include Arts Alive at 4th Friday, sponsored by the Arts Council, hosting live entertainment stages, art booths with professional artists displaying their art for sale and artists demonstrating their craft on Franklin and Maxwell streets. The Downtown Alliance organizes the rest and merchants and restaurant owners around the district open their doors and feature specials, artists, music and much more! For more information, visit www.theartscouncil.com.
Dogwood Festival
This award-winning festival shows up in the Top 20 events in the Southeast on a regular basis and for good reason. More than 200,000 people make their way downtown every Spring for the amazing music stages, the food vendors lining the promenade of Festival Park, the street vendors with all kinds of arts, crafts and more down Ray Avenue and Hay Street and the other events taking place over the entire City during the weekend. This year, musical acts included the Gin Blossoms, Soul Asylum, Joe Nichols and quite a few local favorites on the Festival Park stage and on the Rock Shop stage. Find out more including the two other events hosted by the Dogwood Festival: Historic Hauntings and the New Year’s Eve Party in the Park complete with a dogwood drop at www.faydogwoodfestival.com.
Fayetteville after Five
Fayetteville after Five, sponsored by the Fayetteville Museum of Art, is a terrific, and free, concert series hosted at Festival Park. Starting after work, bring your lawn chairs and beach blankets, grab dinner and beverages and enjoy a great selection of music among friends. There are two more dates left in the 2010 line-up:
- Aug. 19 – Craig Woolard Band
- Sept. 16 – Chairmen of the Board
Mark your calendars! For more information, visit www.fayettevillemuseumart.org.
Downtown is certainly one of the best places to host your events with a captive audience and gorgeous surroundings! If you are interested in hosting an event in the downtown area, contact Erica Brady at 433-1505 for details including permit information.
It’s the Right Time to Look Downtown
With over twenty new businesses that have opened since January and new condos, this is the time to look at living or opening a business downtown. Several new businesses will be opening this year including Pierro’s Express and Wet Willie’s Daiquiri Bar and Restaurant. There are several small business resource groups that are willing to help with opening up your own business including CEED, The Center for Economic Empowerment and Development, formerly known as The Women’s Center of Fayetteville, located at 230 Hay Street, and the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce in Haymount.
The City of Fayetteville is also committed to Downtown Fayetteville and has designed programs to offer economic incentives for investment in the district. These programs help encourage the restoration of facades through rehabilitation, offer loans for small business owners investing in our community and jobs. Through the City’s Community Development department, three programs are offered including the following:
Facade Improvement Grant Program
This program is designed to promote the revitalization of facades of active, for profit businesses through the rehabilitation of commercial building exteriors and landscapes. This effort benefits Fayetteville by removing blight, expanding the tax base and increasing the economic vitality of Downtown Fayetteville and redevelopment plans areas. An eligible business must be located within the identified boundaries and meet all program requirements. The City of Fayetteville will provide a matching reimbursement grant up to $5,000 for each facade renovated.
Downtown Loan Program
Loans are available from $50,000 to $300,000 for relocating and expanding businesses that wish to construct, acquire or renovate commercial properties in the downtown area. The partnership between the City of Fayetteville and local banks has resulted in an attractive interest rate for qualified applicants and relocating and expanding businesses located in the specified geographic boundaries of the downtown loan area are eligible to apply for the program.
Business Assistance Program
The City of Fayetteville established the Business Assistance program to stimulate small business investments within the city limits, to create new services and retail business to redevelopment areas and to create jobs. The Business Assistance Program provides funding to assist the small business owner with the additional equity needed in order to qualify for primary financing. The City of Fayetteville’s loan works in conjunction with a primary loan from a bank or approved lender.
For more information on these programs, please contact Michelle Haire, Economic Development Administrator for the City of Fayetteville, at 910-433-1596. For further information on available properties and residences and contact information for agents and property owners, call 910-433-1599.
Top 10 Reasons to Love Downtown Fayetteville!
1. Festivals and events that fill the streets
The Dogwood Festival, 4th Fridays, International Folk Festival, Fayetteville after Five concerts and other special events make downtown a family friendly fun place to be and most are free so a full night of entertainment won’t break the bank!
2. More than 2 dozen restaurants and bars with open doors, great menus and a fantastic atmosphere
With cuisine ranging from Italian pasta to delectable tapas to lighter fare salads to mouth watering desserts, this is your place to bring a date, your family or have a lunch or dinner out with friends. Patio seating make it all the more fun to see and be seen while having a delicious meal!
3. Beautiful historical buildings and streetscape – just look around and know you are in one of the best places
Any history or architecture buff can explore the many exceptional buildings that have been beautifully restored and the examples of Neo-Classical, Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival styles and more. The Market House alone is one of less than 40 National Landmarks in the state of North Carolina.
4. One of a kind shops with unique gift items, clothing, local products, you name it
Personal service and fantastic merchandise make downtown one of the best places to shop in the region. New clothing stores such as Leon Sugar’s and gift shops like Holmes Fine Gifts have items to suit any taste, or any occasion.
5. Our fantastic parks – Festival Park, Linear Park, Cross Creek Park, just to name a few
Talk about wonderful places to have a fabulous picnic, walk or see a concert! Events and activities are commonplace in these parks, but if you just wanted to get healthy and take a nature walk, our trails in Linear Park are for you!
6. A truly cool atmosphere
Our heart of the City has been described as trendy, artsy, charming, picturesque, creative and diverse. Urban living, nightlife, friendly people, museum tours and lunch groups have people from all over having different experiences with the same result – returning over and over again!
7. The Airborne and Special Operations Museum and the new State Veterans Park
The Airborne and Special Operations Museum, affectionately known as ASOM, is one of our region’s top attractions and brings thousands of people downtown every year. The new North Carolina State Veterans Park will sit adjacent to the museum and is moving quickly towards their goal of debuting on July 4, 2011.
8. The Field of Honor
The Downtown Alliance hosts the Field of Honor every year and it is truly a sight to behold with sponsored flags lining the field in front of ASOM. Our appreciation for our soldiers, veterans and their families is worth a stand alone in this top ten list to say the least.
9. Award winning performances and gallery worthy art
Plays, performances, displays and world renowned exhibits are featured downtown with so many options to see local shows at the Gilbert Theatre, The Arts Council, the Fayetteville Museum of Art and many more. Our museums, art studios and shops showcase the best that our community has to offer!
10. More shops, restaurants, luxury condos and the like on the horizon
More than ten years has gone by since our community started its plan for downtown revitalization and, in that time, we have made great strides towards building our center city, commercially and residentially. Downtown is growing and has new developments around every corner. Be a part of seeing your downtown grow in this next year and onward!
If you haven’t been downtown lately, you need to see what you are missing! Grab some friends or your family and come explore Downtown Fayetteville. You’ll be glad you did!
Positive Press on our Jobs & Housing Markets
In the last six months – the Fayetteville jobs and housing marketing has received lots of positive press. Greater Fayetteville’s economy has remained relatively stable through the country’s recession.
JOBS
In November of 2009, Fayetteville was ranked as the 31st best performing city in America in the Milken Institute’s report “Best Performing Cities: Where America’s Jobs are created and Sustained.” In 2008, Fayetteville was ranked 52nd place – and has made a leap of 131 places since 2003. Fayetteville ranked third in the state behind Durham and Raleigh, and was only one of two North Carolina cities that did not decline in the rankings. In 2008, Fayetteville ranked 6th 6th in the state.
According to a Manpower Survey, the job outlook is strong in Fayetteville. Fayetteville employers plan to hire steadily throughout the first quarter of 2010, making the employment outlook in the area the third best in the nation. The best job prospects for the first quarter of 2010 are: nondurable goods manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, financial activities, leisure and hospitality and government.
HOUSING
Home values in the nation increased for three straight quarters in 2009, ranking the community No. 1 ranking in the nation for appreciation, according to Zillow.com. The median home value the market increased 10.8 percent to $123,200 in the third quarter, compared with the same period last year.
According to US News & World Report, Fayetteville is one of the Top 10 communities in the country for real estate steals. Direct from USN&WR article –
“To get a better sense where home buyers are most likely to find houses that are undervalued when compared with their longer-term averages, U.S. News turned to Moody’s Economy.com. The economics firm provided average and quarterly price-to-income data for each of the nation’s 384 distinct metropolitan statistical areas. By comparing the most recent figures with longer-term averages, we were able to compile a list of 10 cities for real estate steals.”
Fayetteville ranked 7 out of 10 communities highlighted. Others on the list were Memphis, TN; Washington, DC; and Cincinnati, OH.