MAYSVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - The Town of Maysville is working to establish a social district along its downtown strip, with plans that include mixed-use buildings featuring affordable apartments and commercial space.Earlier this week, The Delicate Mercantile, a store based in Richlands, announced plans to open a second location in Maysville. It is the second business to commit to the social district buildings, joining Main Street Laundry. Two spaces remain open next to the two businesses, and town officials say they hope to finalize plans...
MAYSVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - The Town of Maysville is working to establish a social district along its downtown strip, with plans that include mixed-use buildings featuring affordable apartments and commercial space.
Earlier this week, The Delicate Mercantile, a store based in Richlands, announced plans to open a second location in Maysville. It is the second business to commit to the social district buildings, joining Main Street Laundry. Two spaces remain open next to the two businesses, and town officials say they hope to finalize plans for at least one of them soon.
Town Manager Schumata Brown said the goal is to fill the remaining spaces with a mix of tenants, including a restaurant.
“We’re hoping to get a restaurant. We have a lot of requests for pizza, wings, and burgers and all that, so hopefully we’ll be able to get a pizza owner out there on the hook and bring them into downtown Maysville,” Brown said.
Brown described the broader vision for the district as a place where people can shop, eat, and socialize.
“Come shop, eat, have some social, and be the best version of Maysville that it can be,” Brown said.
Above The Delicate Mercantile is a renovated, occupied apartment. A second unit, 1,700 square feet, remains available for approximately $1,200 per month. A commercial space below that unit is also available, though Brown said it will not be designated for a restaurant.
Longtime resident Buddy Collins said he is skeptical the district will draw new visitors, noting that most traffic through Maysville is passing through on the way to the coast.
“They use us as the way to go to the beach, you know, Highway 58, and we have a lot of traffic that comes through here, but that’s where they’re going. They’re not stopping,” Collins said.
Brown said he hopes to change that perception and being from Maysville, he takes pride in helping rebuild it.
The Delicate Mercantile is expected to open September and Main Street laundry also plans to open in the coming months.