Goldsboro Pediatric Dentistry expected to open downtown
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on September 6, 2016 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/ROCHELLE MOORE
The former Carolina Power and Light office building, at 300 S. Center St., will be converted into a new pediatric dentist and orthodontics practice by early 2017.
A new pediatric dental practice is headed to downtown Goldsboro with plans to occupy the former Carolina Power and Light building on South Center Street.
Goldsboro Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics plans to open in about six months at 300 S. Center St., near Spruce Street, in a building that has remained vacant nearly 10 years.
"We're really excited," said orthodontist and co-owner Dr. Erin Smith. "We're definitely going to be open within the next six months, before the end of the year."
Smith and Dr. Timothy Imafidon Jr., a pediatric dentist, will open the practice as business partners. The couple recently purchased the property and plan to renovate 5,500-square-feet of the 11,000-square-foot building, Smith said.
The project recently captured a $200,000 N.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority building reuse grant, which includes a commitment to employ 20 people and invest nearly $1.48 million in the project, according to the office of the governor.
"We're excited about additional funding that will aid the private sector," said Julie Metz, Goldsboro downtown development director. "These funds will provide immediate and longterm economic impacts to downtown and our community by spurring private investment, creating and retaining jobs and filling a void in a vacant property."
The grant includes a city of Goldsboro $10,000 match, which will be provided through a downtown revolving loan pool, said Elizabeth Rutland, Goldsboro's downtown business and property development specialist. The loan will be repaid within three years at a 2 percent interest rate.
The state grant allows the owners to fully complete the first phase of property development. As the business expands, so will its space inside the South Center Street property, Smith said.
"The grant definitely helps," Smith said. "We're able to do a larger phase one. Everything helps, especially when you're talking about a startup business."
The owners plan to hire 18 employees, including dental assistants and office personnel, from the Goldsboro area, Smith said.
The interest in opening the practice in Goldsboro is tied to the couple's search for a location near the Piedmont area and an effort to move back to North Carolina. Smith is originally from Greensboro, and Imafidon is from Raleigh.
"We're both from North Carolina, and we've both been away for 10 years," Smith said. "We've been trying to get back to North Carolina. The passion of our dental practice is to serve the underserved. We think we're going to bring benefit to the community."
Interior renovations on the downtown property have already started, and the owners plan to advertise new job openings within weeks, Smith said.
In Goldsboro, Imafidon plans to provide pediatric dentist care primarily to children up to age 18 and older patients with special needs. Smith will provide orthodontic care to adults and children.