Businesses Benefit as Downtown Garner’s Social District Catches On (CBS 17 Video)
Businesses benefit as Downtown Garner’s social district catches on (CBS 17 Video)
Businesses benefit as Downtown Garner’s social district catches on.
Historic Downtown Garner Unveils New Social District
The Garner Social District went into effect on March 1. Visitors to the Historic Downtown Garner commercial district can enjoy alcoholic beverages in a defined public area, but some rules and restrictions apply
The new Garner Social District was launched in Historic Downtown Garner on March 1. See the map below for the district's boundaries. Hours for the district are Monday-Saturday noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
Here are some do's and don't's for those who want to enjoy the district:
Please do:
Purchase your beverages only from permitted businesses.
Enjoy your beverages only within the Garner Social District boundaries (see map below).
Be responsible for your behavior. Follow all rules associated with the Garner Social District.
When enjoying your beverage in the Social District, enter only businesses with signage that permits alcoholic beverages and stay within the Social District.
Please don't:
Bring your own alcohol.
Bring or refill your own cups.
Take any alcoholic beverages outside of the designated Social District zone. Boundaries are designated by signage (also, see map below).
Take any alcoholic beverage onto Town-owned property (e.g. the Garner Recreation Center).
Assume that every business located within the Garner Social District zone participates. Please check for appropriate signage.
Rep. Ross, Town Officials Announce $1 Million to Support Downtown Project
U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross—joined by Mayor Ken Marshburn, Council Members Demian Dellinger, Kathy Behringer and Elmo Vance, and Aristotle Spirits owner Jake Howland—on July 22 announced $1,030,405 in funding for a comprehensive rehabilitation of the Main Street-Rand Mill Road intersection as well as the creation of 59 new paved parking spots in Downtown Garner.
U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross—joined by Mayor Ken Marshburn, Council Members Demian Dellinger, Kathy Behringer and Elmo Vance, and Aristotle Spirits owner Jake Howland—on July 22 announced $1,030,405 in funding for a comprehensive rehabilitation of the Main Street-Rand Mill Road intersection as well as the creation of 59 new paved parking spots in Downtown Garner. Rep. Ross secured funding for the project earlier this year.
The federal funds will be used to develop a pedestrian plaza and sidewalk and improve stormwater drainage to prevent flooding. The new parking lot will transform an underutilized property into a productive asset, increasing accessibility and capacity for residents and visitors to enjoy restaurants, shops and more.
Between fiscal years 2009 and 2021 (the most recent available data), there was $23.1 million in public investment and $11.5 million in private investment in Downtown Garner.
New Garner Downtown and Small Business Development Manager Joins Staff
Shayla Douglas has been hired as the Downtown and Small Business Development Manager.
Shayla Douglas has been hired as the Downtown and Small Business Development Manager, replacing Mari Howe, who is now serving as the Special Project Manager for the Town.
A native of Hamlet, NC, Shayla is a two-time UNC Chapel Hill graduate, most recently completing her Master in Public Administration this May. Shayla will be serving as a staff liaison between the Downtown Garner Association and the Town, as well as supporting small businesses across the entire Town of Garner.
Jihan Hodges Recognized as Main Street Champion
The Downtown Garner Association was honored to nominate past DGA Chair and Board Member Jihan Hodges as Garner’s 2021 Main Street Champion. Downtown Development Manager Mari Howe shared the following in her nomination of Jihan Hodges:
Thirty-three North Carolina Main Street Champions were recognized for their commitment to downtown revitalization and strong communities in 2021 during the recent NC Main Street Conference. Including this year’s group of honorees, 837 Main Street Champions have been recognized by the N.C. Department of Commerce since 2000.
The Downtown Garner Association was honored to nominate past DGA Chair and Board Member Jihan Hodges as Garner’s 2021 Main Street Champion. Downtown Development Manager Mari Howe shared the following in her nomination of Jihan Hodges:
Since joining the Downtown Garner Association in 2017, Jihan Hodges has been an amazing asset to Garner’s Main Street program. Bringing her energy and passion to the table, she plays a big part in making Downtown Garner’s signature events successful. Jihan puts in long hours, acting as volunteer coordinator, and looking for opportunities, big and small, to make downtown events better every year. Often the first to arrive and last to leave, Jihan’s commitment is unparalleled, and her assistance is invaluable to the downtown manager. During her four years on the downtown board, Jihan served as vice chair and chair, leading the organization as an advocate for a catalytic public-private development project on Main Street and guiding annual planning efforts to build on downtown’s strategic assets.
The 2021 NC Main Street Champions were honored in a virtual recognition ceremony on March 10. Representatives from the NC Department of Commerce attended to congratulate the new Champoions. “There are three common elements that are found in successful communities. These elements are asset based economic development strategies, public and private partnerships, and local champions,” said Kenny Flowers, Assistant Secretary of Rural Economic Development at the N.C. Department of Commerce.
“Main Street Champions are the key to success in downtown revitalization. They possess courage to move downtown forward; they fight for positive change and do that with creativity and innovation; and they actively get things done, while staying focused on the downtown’s economic development strategies,” said Liz Parham, Director of the N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center at Commerce.
The Downtown Garner Association would like to thank Jihan Hodges for her dedicated service and enthusiastic contributions to Garner’s Main Street program.
Nana's Lil Sweets Bakery to Open in Downtown Garner
Downtown Garner just got a little sweeter. Nana’s Lil Sweets, a new bakery concept, is slated to open their doors on Main Street some time in May. An official opening date has yet to be released.
Downtown Garner just got a little sweeter. Nana’s Lil Sweets, a new bakery concept, is slated to open their doors on Main Street some time in May. An official opening date has yet to be released.
Nana’s Lil Sweets owner, Barbara Jemison has spent years in the baking and culinary world. Her love for baking is only equaled by her love of her family. As it states on her website, “Nana's Lil Sweets was born to provide a creative outlet for me, but also to share the love and fun with baking with my grandbabies…” From cakes to cookies and everything in between, Nana’s Lil Sweets will help folks enjoy the sweet life.
More information will be coming out once an opening date has been finalized. For now, you can visit Nana’s Lil Sweets online at Nana's Lil Sweets (nanaslilsweets.com) or on facebook Nana's Lil Sweets - Home | Facebook.
Downtown & North Garner Community Update Meeting April 28 at 6pm
Wondering what’s been happening behind the scenes here in Downtown Garner? Join us on April 28th at 6pm to learn more about everything that’s been brewing during the last year and find out what’s coming soon to Downtown and North Garner!
Wondering what’s been happening behind the scenes here in Downtown Garner? Join us on April 28th at 6pm to learn more about everything that’s been brewing during the last year and find out what’s coming soon to Downtown and North Garner!
The Downtown Garner Association will host an in-person community gathering in the Multipurpose Room of the Garner Recreation Center to share our upcoming Calendar of Events and to talk about recent business developments and exciting new additions to our historic downtown district and North Garner. DGA board members will lead a walking tour of the Main Street business district, ending at Aristotle Spirits for Q&A and drinks.
This is a great opportunity to learn more about DGA’s role in downtown revitalization – especially if you’re interested in getting involved! The DGA Board of Directors is looking for volunteers who want to help with public art, downtown events, marketing, and fundraising. If that’s you, we encourage you to attend and bring your questions about how you can get involved.
To register to attend, click the link below.
Garner: Art Around Town
The Downtown Garner Association is pleased to present Art Around Town, a community-driven public art project that uses painting to illustrate community and natural beauty and bring joy, healing and civic engagement.
The Downtown Garner Association is pleased to present Art Around Town, a community-driven public art project that uses painting to illustrate community and natural beauty and bring joy, healing and civic engagement.
The original concept for Art Around Town was proposed by Lorie Clark, Cultural Arts & Events Manager for the Town of Garner at the Garner Performing Arts Center. In partnership with the Downtown Garner Association, Clark wants to create an opportunity for artists from all levels of mastery and different walks of life to create art that would uplift and bring the community together during a challenging time.
Since March, the DGA Arts Committee has been working with Clark and community artists to bring the project to life. Following a call for artists in May, selected artists received materials and stipends to paint concepts inspired by Garner’s natural beauty and community values. The artists has one month to paint a 3’x4′ plywood canvas, which was then sealed for outdoor display.
This year’s exhibit features 23 canvases painted by artists from Garner and Raleigh on display from mid-August through November. The artwork is displayed outdoors in Downtown Garner and at select park locations for 24/7 viewing on a walkable loop. Coming out of a year of quarantining and isolation, the Downtown Garner Association wanted to create an exhibit that could be accessible to all despite any COVID restrictions.
“Public art is a priority in our economic development strategy for Downtown Garner,” said Mari Howe, downtown development manager for the Town of Garner. “The Downtown Garner Association knows the power of art to create a sense of community, to empower people, and to inspire pride in Garner. We wanted to find a way to support artists and raise awareness of Garner’s arts community. Art Around Town has been a great pilot program for doing both of those things.”
At the end of the exhibit, the Downtown Garner Association will auction the artwork, with 75 percent of the profit going to the original artist. The auction will take place online in late November–more details coming soon!
For more information about Art Around Town, please contact Mari Howe at mhowe@garnernc.gov.a
Entrepreneurs Wanted: LaunchGarner to Take Off This Fall
The Town of Garner has partnered with Wake Tech and a network of local partners to bring LaunchGarner to the community.
This 10-week immersive entrepreneurial course is designed to help prospective entrepreneurs and current small-business owners get in-depth knowledge on how to develop and execute a business plan.
The Town of Garner has partnered with Wake Tech and a network of local partners to bring LaunchGarner to the community.
This 10-week immersive entrepreneurial course is designed to help prospective entrepreneurs and current small-business owners get in-depth knowledge on how to develop and execute a business plan.
The program also partners students with a mentor, who for six months will help the student gain further insights into how to operate a successful enterprise. The program is now seeking 10 to 20 students for the inaugural class.
To qualify, students must meet the following requirements:
Live or work in the Garner area;
Demonstrate a need for financial and business resources;
Consent to interview by the selection committee;
Complete in-person business training once a week for 10 weeks;
Develop a business plan and budget;
Meet and communicate regularly with an assigned business mentor for six months.
Those interested in the program can apply online at launchGarner.com no later than July 31, 2021. The selection process will include an online interview that will be scheduled during August.
Those interested in applying can also attend one of three information sessions on June 24 at 12 pm (noon), July 12 at 6:30 pm, and July 22 at 6:30 pm.
To register to attend an information session, please go to launchGarner.com.
Selected students will be required to attend 10 weeks (one session each week) of a small-business course as well as an in-person orientation and graduation ceremony. The courses will be held virtually and are provided free of charge to all LaunchGarner participants.
Each class is three hours long and will be scheduled on Thursday evenings beginning in September. After the training, students are paired with experienced business persons who will act as mentors for another six months. Students will also receive a free one-year membership to the Garner Chamber of Commerce.
LaunchGarner is aimed at entrepreneurs who have a great idea but are unsure where or how to begin as well as those who are already in business and need to learn how to progress to the next level. At the end of the 10-week course, students will graduate with a business plan, marketing plan and a path to make success a reality.
This program would not be possible without the support of the following: Wake Technical Community college, the Garner Chamber of Commerce, Garner Rotary Clubs, the Town of Garner, Garner Economic Development Corporation, the Downtown Garner Association and many other community partners.
For more information regarding economic development matters in the Town of Garner, contact Joe Stallings at 919-773-4431 or jstallings@garnernc.gov.
Garner Selects Lansing Melbourne Group for Downtown Development Site
This decision is the culmination of an almost two year process of working with the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative (DFI) to complete pre-development analysis and solicit developer interest for the site, located between the historic business district and the new Recreation Center.
At their May 3, 2021 meeting, the Garner Town Council voted unanimously to endorse the town staff’s recommendation to move forward with Lansing Melbourne Group (LMG) as developer for the Downtown Opportunity Site.
This decision is the culmination of an almost two year process of working with the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative (DFI) to complete pre-development analysis and solicit developer interest for the site, located between the historic business district and the new Recreation Center.DFI consultant Matt Crook gave a brief overview of the process leading up to developer selection and Downtown Development Manager Mari Howe presented the staff recommendation to work with LMG. Howe told the council that LMG received very high praise from other communities that they worked in, where their original projects often expanded to include additional phases.
In her presentation, Howe shared several key factors that led to staff choosing LMG, including:
their experience with public private partnerships,
their background with parking development,
their community oriented development process,
their “club-level” financing model,
their interest in future phases of development, and
their local approach to retail recruitment.
Council members Demian Dellinger and Gra Singleton participated in interviews with the final two development candidates. Dellinger agreed that LMG would be a good fit for Garner’s culture and needs in Downtown Garner. Singleton said that he felt confident that LMG would work hard to make sure they could deliver what the community wanted, even if that meant changing some elements of their original proposal.
Town council authorized staff to start working with DFI and LMG on negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding for the project, a process which will take about 90 days.
CALLING ALL ARTISTS FOR ART AROUND TOWN
Art Around Town is a community art project for the residents of Garner and artists from surrounding areas to participate in a temporary art exhibit that will illustrate community and natural beauty and bring joy, healing, and civic engagement.
CALL FOR ARTISTS
The Downtown Garner Association (DGA) and the Town of Garner are looking for local and regional visual artists to participate in an outdoor Art Around Garner art installation beginning August – October 2021.
Art Around Town is a community art project for the residents of Garner and artists from surrounding areas to participate in a temporary art exhibit that will illustrate community and natural beauty and bring joy, healing, and civic engagement.
Artists will be required to submit their “Art Around Garner” idea, concept, or theme of painting at the time of application.
DGA will hold an artists interest meeting on May 13 at 6:30pm via Zoom.
Twenty local and regional artists will be selected to participate.*
$50-100 material stipends are available upon request.
Artists will be notified if their artwork is accepted and where it will be located.
Painting must be completed by July 1.
*This is not a juried exhibit; however, artwork not consistent with the theme will not be accepted.
SPECS & INSTALLATION
Artists will be provided with a 3′ x 4′ board to paint. Acrylic paint is recommended and pieces will be varnished by the exhibit coordinators to be weather safe.
The art will be on display August through October 2021 at the following proposed pedestrian-friendly locations including Town Hall, Garner Senior Center, Garner Rec Center (GRC), Garner Performing Arts Center, and other locations around downtown and town parks.
AUCTION
Upon completion of the exhibit, the art will be auctioned with 75% of the proceeds going to the respective artists and 25% to DGA to benefit future art projects throughout the Town of Garner.
The exact time, location and date of auction is yet to be determined but anticipated for November 2021.
INQUIRIES
Questions from artists should be directed to Lorie Clark at lclark@garnernc.gov.