HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — High Point’s South Main Street is known as the city’s gateway, but some sections of it can be an eyesore and a danger to business owners who make their living in the area, according to Mayor Cyril Jefferson.
Vacant storefronts, boarded up windows, vacant lots.
These are some of the sights you’ll see as you drive down S. Main Street near Guilford Technical College in High Point.
Alexandra Poplin opened a tobacco and vape shop off Vail Street in February.
She said it was hard to attract customers to her store because of the surrounding area.
“I wouldn’t say it’s shabby, but it does look like the building is falling apart,” Poplin said.
It’s not just the environment that’s an issue for her – sometimes the area feels unsafe.
“This isn’t pretty. It’s really bad for our city, especially with people flying in from out of states all year round. It’s bad for business. Having people sleeping in front of your building, soliciting money in front of your building. It’s just not a good look,” Poplin said.
Fox 8 took these concerns to High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson.
He met with me at the heart of concerns about renovation plans.
“Frankly, we want to invest in the physical environment and we want to invest in the people, so we’ve got a lot of infrastructure along this corridor. Right now, Business 85 is under construction. We’ve got funding from the state and we’ve put about $9 million into infrastructure investments in the area,” Jefferson said.
As for further development in the area, Mayor Jefferson said there are plans to expand Guilford Technical Community College’s High Point campus, but a timeline has not yet been announced.
But the mayor acknowledges the need to keep people safe and is asking the community and business owners for feedback to city leaders.
Additionally, city leaders say they plan to discuss how to divvy up the city’s budget for increased security.
“At the very least, as a city government, having a budget that supports those competitive salaries shows that we can fill those positions and provide the increased security that’s needed throughout the city, including in this area,” Jefferson said.
When it comes to helping the area’s homeless community, Jefferson says there’s no direct solution to the problem, but city leaders are working with several community partners to try to address the issue.
