Downtown Plans

The City of Mount Airy is a thriving city of almost 10,000 people with a growing and vibrant downtown. The City has retained Benchmark Planning to help prepare a Downtown Master Plan to guide the growth and development of downtown over the next 5 to 10 years. Historic Downtown Mount Airy offers urban living that is enhanced by the serene beauty of the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The downtown is home to local art, live music, abundant shopping, local wine, craft brews, and authentic dining experiences. Fostering a diverse variety of small businesses, services, and friendly people, Mount Airy is a true Southern Town with all the charm of Mayberry.

The City of Lumberton hired Benchmark Planning to develop a Downtown Master Plan in 2017. In 2021, Benchmark Planning worked with the City to develop a Downtown Design Overlay District in their Zoning Ordinance, and currently (2023), Benchmark is working with the City to update its Downtown Master Plan. Lumberton is located within the Coastal Plains region of southeastern North Carolina nestled along the banks of the Lumber River. The City is a regional hub of business activity positioned at the crossroads of Interstate 95 and Interstate 74 (US 74). Lumberton’s geographic location at the midpoint between New York and Florida has led to the development of the hospitality industry along Interstate 95. Hotels and restaurants serve travelers and provide employment opportunities within the region.

The City of Dillon is poised for development and growth from the State of South Carolina’s investment in the Inland Port. Inland Port Dillon just opened in 2018 and is the heart of the 3,400-acre Carolinas I-95 Mega Site with CSX rail access. In addition to the growth expected from the opening of the Inland Port, the City is working with business owners, property owners and the entire community to improve downtown, expanding daytime opportunities and establishing evening dining and entertainment options. As the County Seat of Dillon County, Dillon’s daytime population expands to over 18,000 people. The City hired Benchmark Planning to help develop strategies to encourage private reinvestment in downtown buildings, while exploring ways to improve evening dining and entertainment options. The Downtown Master Plan highlights actions and strategies the public and private sectors should implement to improve downtown. 

In October 2020, Benchmark was engaged by the Town of Belville, NC to prepare a conceptual development plan for the redevelopment of the Town’s downtown waterfront area. The Town has been actively working with property owners for a number of years to develop the land along the Brunswick River waterfront into a tourism oriented mixed use development.

Downtown Elon is the vibrant centerpiece of the community with a strong town-gown relationship with the University of Elon, serving residents, students, and visitors alike. Since the 2014 Downtown Master Plan, the Town has become a North Carolina Main Street community and has initiated events and policy changes to strengthen Downtown as the center for activity, retail, and art in Elon. The long-term success of Downtown has been guided by the volunteer leadership of the former Downtown Advisory Committee that is now Downtown Elon, Inc, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization charged with improving downtown. The organization is led by a Board of Directors and the Downtown Development Director, a position that is funded by the Town of Elon and Elon University. The organization’s volunteers and staff have worked to help retain small businesses, generate downtown activities, and bring new investment to Downtown Elon. In order to keep this momentum going, the Town of Elon hired Benchmark in October of 2022 to work closely with Town officials, residents, downtown business owners, students, and University officials to develop the Downtown Master Plan. The Master Plan, which includes a background assessment and market analysis, conceptual streetscape redesigns, and redevelopment scenarios, was adopted by Town Council in September 2023.

The City of Myrtle Beach hired Benchmark Planning to work closely with City Council on the development of a Downtown Master Plan.  The Myrtle Beach area is currently ranked as the second fastest-growing metropolitan area in the country and is one of the major centers of tourism in the United States, attracting an estimated 18 million visitors each year.  Myrtle Beach was built on tourism, and while the City and the surrounding community has experienced unprecedented residential growth for a number of years, tourism is still at the core of the local economy.   Benchmark engaged local business owners, property owners, elected officials, leaders of various public agencies, SCDOT, city department heads and others in an extensive stakeholder input process, meeting with over 100 key stakeholders in listening sessions.  The master plan process included a day-long workshop that attracted over 400 residents. Benchmark is currently under contract to assist the city with the Master Plan implementation process.