Town of Parksley Downtown Revitalization Project: Get On Board!

Introduction –

Following the announcement of the Eastern Shore Public Library relocating to Parksley, the Town approached the Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development (VDHCD) to express interest in undertaking a downtown revitalization planning project that could ultimately lead to activities intended to identify opportunities to improve the economic and physical conditions within the community. As a necessary first step, the Town completed an inventory of properties in the downtown area with cooperation and support from business owners during the Spring of 2017. This initial inventory is helping support the development of a new vision for the future of Parksley including an economic restructuring plan and a marketing strategy. These items will help identify specific improvement projects that may be eligible for future VDHCD funding.

Participation is critical for the Town to be able to demonstrate that the improvement projects identified through this process are truly community-based projects. The Town was successful in completing this process during the 1980s when VDHCD provided funding to construct the Farmers Market pavilion and make other improvements to the Town Square and we are confident that we can prove to VDHCD once again that we are worthy of their support.

Anyone interested in participating in the project is encouraged to attend project meetings and workshops which will be advertised via email and Facebook. Please contact Curt Smith at [email protected] to be added to the project distribution list to receive regular updates and notices.

The project is being overseen by a Project Management Committee who is meeting regularly to develop public events and outreach opportunities. The Project Management Committee meetings are open to the public and participation is encouraged.