DGDC says more than 30 new businesses have opened downtown
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on May 24, 2015 1:50 AM
The Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. is letting its community know -- 37 new businesses have opened downtown since the start of Streetscape in 2012.
The organization says that the new businesses that have opened within the Municipal Service District in the past three years include everything from antique stores to restaurants and barbershops.
Four more are slated to open in the coming months.
The Municipal Service District is an area that is roughly outlined by William, Ash, Pine and George streets, with some blocks excluded.
DGDC director Julie Metz says she and the rest of the organization's staff and volunteers are doing all they can to make sure that once the enterprises open, they stay open. And although not all the fledgling businesses make it, events like Shop the Block and Meet Me Downtown, help bring in the customers and interest that can help them get through those first critical months.
"I think last Shop the Block we had 40 businesses participate," Ms. Metz said. "We do it four times a year where we provide downtown dollars. The last couple of times have been over an entire weekend, but it started out as just one day. We advertise coming downtown and a lot of the businesses will provide discounts that day, and we market and advertise those for them. We hand out $250 of downtown dollars throughout the day, and when we see people shopping downtown, Erin (Acree) will just go by and give them $1, $5 or $10 downtown dollars, and then those people can turn those dollars in to any of the participating businesses to purchase something. Then those businesses can come to our office and redeem those downtown dollars for their dollar value from us."
Meet Me Downtown is an event that began with naming a "Business of the Month" throughout the year, and has evolved into efforts to connect the business owner with the customer.
DGDC also offers the opportunity for business owners to hang signs in front of their stores to advertise that they are open during Streetscape -- but it will cost them nearly $200.
"The banners that go up on the construction fencing, they're allowed to put them up," Ms. Metz said. "I think the largest size that T.A. Loving will allow was four (feet) by eight (feet), but it's at their expense. T.A. Loving will help hang them up for them if they get them. We bought the open for business signs that are hanging up and we're about to purchase more that will be put on a couple buildings downtown. One's going to go on the old fire station on Ash Street and I think one is going to go in the University Lights building."
Another form of aid DGDC is providing is a Business Incentive Grant, where businesses may apply to receive $400 per month for 12 months to help with their expenses.
The business cannot have been open for more than six months prior to applying, and must submit a detailed business plan with the application.
Two applications for the grant have been received this year from Ann Wright, CPA, and Carolina Pines County Store. In the 2013-14 cycle, JoJo's Bistro and Bar, Towns Antiques, Dancing Butterfly and ZenNubian 7 Teahouse all received grant funds.
This grant aids in getting new businesses off the ground in the downtown area.
Of the 37 new businesses that have opened downtown in the past three years, 18 businesses applied for the grants, with nine approved.
Of the businesses that applied but did not receive the grant, four applications were rejected and four chose not to progress with the application after completing the pre-application process.