Saws, Hammers and Concrete
Making New Music in Downtown Kinston
A new kind of music has replaced Pride's Sand in the Streets outdoor concerts in downtown Kinston.
Drummers, fiddlers and horn players have been replaced by a rhapsody of swinging hammers, sawing two-by-fours, laying concrete and stringing new electric lines..."playing" all the instruments required to repair, replace and renovate downtown structures to make them ready for new or expanded businesses.
A Pride survey conducted in early September identified 16 projects: some brand new, others currently underway or on the verge of opening to the public in a six-block area of downtown, costing $100's of thousands of dollars in expenditures being invested by local businesses and entrepreneurs.
When one adds in the $3.5 million which the North Carolina General Assembly has now approved for a new Civil War Museum in downtown Kinston, the investment figure jumps to multi-million dollar proportions.
"Our survey is clear evidence that the pace of downtown Kinston revitalization has taken on exciting new momentum. Local business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors are exhibiting new visions, new hopes and new belief in our future," commented Adrian King, director of Pride of Kinston. "Like the Committee of 100 says, 'Kinston! We're on the Way'."
Mr. King pointed out that, with two exceptions, the projects identified in the 2008 survey do not include the 17 projects described in an August 2007 Pride summary of downtown capital investments. The survey a year ago showed that $3 million were being spent on building renovations and inventories to start new businesses in downtown.
The two exceptions, however, depict expansions over the investors' 2007 plans: Isaac Hines of Photographic Expressions by Isaac, and Clark Tutt of TACC9/Adnet productions have both expanded their horizons this year compared to the plans disclosed in 2007.
The following is a brief description of each of the projects either underway or just open for business:
- 418 N. Queen Street
 Desmond McPhail and Monica Reyes -
"Basically, we wanted to be a part of the revitalization of Kinston," Mr. McPhail said. "Queen Street is the focal point of Kinston, and we wanted to be at the center."
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312-314 N. Queen Street
 In spaces formerly occupied by an abandoned storefront and a small dilapidated park, a new lot to add needed parking spaces for the popular community health center and surrounding buildings is under construction. Pride of Kinston is the developer for this project.
115 W. North Street  Geraldine and Felton Eubanks of Trenton have transformed another vacant building into a charming bistro and catering business, called "The Folded Napkin." The Eubanks are already taking catering orders and plans for an early September grand opening for the bistro are in the books.
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130 W. North Street  - Across the street, entrepreneur Carolyn Hardy is working to open a new downtown florist which she is calling "The Tied Bouquet." The space was formerly occupied by Photographic Expressions by Isaac.
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- 127 W. Gordon Street
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 Isaac Hines
- 306 N. Herritage Street
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 Tim Duggins
 304 N. Herritage Street-
Next door, Susan Colomaio is working to create a new shop to be called the "Black-Eyed Susan", offering gifts and painted furniture. She hopes to open in the next few weeks.
- 212-214 N. Herritage Street
 Ashley Shirley Ms. Shirley says that "Our Picnic Basket" is moving downtown for several reasons, need for more space being a primary driver. "But we also feel that Herritage Street right now is a bandwagon, and we feel this move is a great opportunity to jump on that bandwagon."
- 132 N. Queen Street
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Television producer and businessman Clark Tutt has purchased the former womens clothing store, previously owned by Pride of Kinston, to convert it into office and administrative space for his growing "TACC 9/Adnet" business, giving him some elbow room in his existing building for expanded production space.
- 130 N. Queen Street
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A new Queen Street business, "Sarah's House of Style", has moved into another building owned by Mr. Tutt. It was vacant for several years prior to the new hair salon venture being run by Sarah Alice Williams.
- 203 N. Queen Street
 TACC9’s Martha Bishop
- 108 E. Gordon Street
 Bobby Davis
- 127 N. Queen Street
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 William Jarman Swinging back to Queen Street, Contractor William Jarman is clearing out the collapsed building at this location in order to re-build the structure for Keisha J. Miller who plans to install a new beauty salon.
"Downtown Kinston is redeveloping, slowly but surely and positively," Jarman says. "I'm re-doing this building because I have someone who wants it, and they're ready to move in."
- 100 S. Queen Street
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 The old Standard Drug Store building--once a popular hang out for a breakfast crowd which solved most of Kinston's problems over coffee, but then became empty and neglected--is getting a new facelift courtesy of Deloris Bunch. She is re-doing the inside and outside of the building to make way for a lunch-time diner called "Bunch's Grill."
- 104-114 N. Queen Street
The looming "big daddy" of Queen Street re-development promises to come in the form of a new Civil War Museum, long the dream of local Civil War history aficionados and members of the Kinston-Lenoir Gunboat Association.
The remains of the CSS Neuse, built for the Confederate Navy in 1863-65 to vanquish Union forces but now rotting away at the Richard Caswell state historic site on Kinston's Vernon Avenue, plus thousands of related artifacts, are destined for a new home on Queen Street. The North Carolina General Assembly recently appropriated $3.5 million to give the dream a real boost towards reality. As a tourist attraction, it is expected to draw thousands of visitors to downtown Kinston, transforming the in-town economy.
Tommy Lee, head of the Gunboat Association, speculates that the new museum will have transformational power for downtown equivalent to the power of Spirit AeroSpace's investment in the North Carolina Global TransPark.
- 200 N. Queen Street
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 The first floor of the interior of the five story stone Renaissance Revival building, constructed in 1924 to become one of Kinston's signature structures, is quietly being restored to its original appearance, according to owner Walter Poole. Tiles which were not part of the original structure have been removed, and a mezzanine wall which was a late addition has also been removed. Black wrought iron railings which framed the atrium, and an artist with experience in working with plaster who can recreate the elegant ceiling, are being sought.
- 109-111 N. Queen Street
This pair of buildings is being donated by a South Carolina firm Tull Fields to the U.S. ParaGames organization run by Kinston community activists RaDonna Marshall and Bill Whitaker. The organization provides sports events and exhibitions for persons with physical disabilities. Ms. Marshall says plans for the buildings are evolving but will include space for AMVETS Post 1111 meetings and events. There will be a private social club for members who support U.S. ParaGames. The buildings will host on-going fundraisers for U.S. ParaGames and other non profits.
---Photos by Sammy C. Aiken
Sand in the Streets a hit with Free Press readers
 2008 Band of Oz Pride of Kinston's Sand in the Streets concert series was selected by Free Press readers as "Simply the Best Festival" in 2008, according to the paper. A Reader's Choice Award was presented to Pride Sept. 8, 2008 as a result of the annual Reader's Choice poll conducted annually.
"We appreciate the recognition," Pride director Adrian King responded. "Thanks to all who supported us, including the Pride Board of Directors who provided the concert series with a subsidy in 2006 and 2007 before we were able to break even with the 2008 concerts."
He also cited support from sponsors, volunteers, the bands, and audiences for helping move the concerts to where they have become favored events in the community.
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