Business View Magazine | March 2020

318 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 C O N S U L T I N G E N G I N E E R S G E O R G I A • K E N T U C K Y • N O R T H C A R O L I N A • S O U T H C A R O L I N A • T E N N E S S E E CEI • ROW • SUE • UTILITY SVCS • ASSET MGMT • DRONE CIVIL DESIGN • SURVEY • GEOSPATIAL • TRANSPORTATION www.VaughnMelton.com Serving the Southeast since 1967 Lexington Middlesboro Knoxville Asheville Sylva Charlotte Spartanburg Columbia Charleston Kennesaw Raleigh New Bern Gray Boone eeneville. So, the town has adopted the first phase of a long-term, downtown development plan. Phase One, currently in the design stage, aims to redevelop two-and-a-half blocks of Depot St. with new sidewalks, new lighting, and upgraded underground utilities, giving it an entirely new look. “It’s going to be about a 12-16 month construction project anticipated to start in April,” Smith reports. “Overall, we’ve got three phases of this project. It’s probably going to be a seven- to-ten-year project and a pretty significant investment in our community. We are paying for this first phase out of our general fund, and we’re hoping to supplement that with a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program. A couple of years ago, we initiated a downtown TIF District, and part of its purpose is to fund these public projects.” Smith adds that future development could also take place in a designated federal Opportunity Zone (OZ), located in the north part of town. “Unfortunately it is right outside of our