NCGrowth is partnering with the Town of Liberty to promote economic development and downtown revitalization. Liberty is a town of about 3,000 people in Randolph County that used to be a well-known shopping center for the greater agricultural area until the 1980s. Since then, it has experienced a decline in commerce and a major slowdown of its downtown. However, Liberty is anticipating new growth because of its proximity to growing job centers and two proposed megasites. In anticipation of this growth, Liberty hopes to lay the groundwork for growth while maintaining a unique small downtown.
The first phase of the project was a built asset assessment workshop conducted in partnership with the Construction Professionals Network, Institute (CPNI). Over the course of two days in April, town representatives, CPNI members from a range of construction related professions, and NCGrowth staff discussed the town’s assets, re-development options, and next steps.
Following this, NCGrowth is conducting a feasibility study to determine whether a business incubator, or some other business development program, may be a good fit for Liberty’s downtown. Working with partners from Randolph Community College, this study is assessing demand for incubation services, and program models that could match that need.
Maya Anderson is an NCGrowth Analyst and an MBA candidate at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.