MOORESVILLE — Downtown Mooresville features buildings which are more than 100 years old and a variety of small businesses. The town hopes to give them a boost by changing Main Street itself.
Main In Motion is an $8 million initiative paid for with tax increment financing funds. The project plans to widen sidewalks on Main Street so residents and visitors can easily stop and explore shops.
"We're re-imagining the street where it's not just for cars," said Erin Pipkin of the Mooresville Redevelopment Commission. "We're aware that people like Mooresville as a small town and we're trying to make infrastructure improvements that support that, not override that. For a long time, we've wanted to do Main Street, and we finally have the money to do it."
The redvelopment commission will present the full plans for Main Street to the public on Thursday night at Brew Link Brewing. Pipkin believes reconstruction could start in February.
Eremos Coffee Company owners Tyler and Hannah Lahusky strongly support the investment into Main Street. The Lahuskys opened their coffee shop on Main Street in July and believe in downtown's economic potential.
"I hope we bring some awesome local businesses in," Tyler Lahusky said. "We have some good chains coming in too, but I hope we grow the local business scene and stay traditional."
Eremos Coffee is not the only new addition to Main Street. The aforementioned Brew Link Brewing opened around the same time as Eremos, and Smith's Sweet Shoppe on the corner of Main and Indiana opened within the past month.
"When we moved here four or so years ago, not as many people knew where Mooresville was, but the reach of Mooresville is broadening," Tyler Lahusky said.
The Main In Motion public presentation will start at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Mooresville's Brew Link Brewing location.
