Danville’s River District Association to revitalize historic North Main Street area

Danville, Virginia – To revitalize a historic area, Danville is making sure that locals are involved.

The Department of Community Housing and Development has awarded a $150,000 grant to the River District Association (RDA), which will be used to rehabilitate Danville’s North Main Street area. It was once a city known as Neapolis, with its municipality.

The CEO of the River District Association, Diana Schwartz, states that the organization is committed to community involvement and that they will be heavily involved in the project. She continued by saying that they intended to fulfill their pledge to the community to revitalize North Main Street.

“The River District Association gets the spotlight on a lot of things, and I do believe it’s because we do good work. “But the crux of that good work is working with the community to make what they want to see happen. That’s really the magic,” Schwartz said.

At this early stage of the project, the RDA is testing certain ideas. The goal of the Main Street corridor rehabilitation is to improve the area’s perception and safety, albeit this is not a final plan. They intend to provide additional features like trees, walkways, and shelters.
Schwartz emphasizes that the community’s desires, not those of the RDA, will determine what the project comprises. Their input is already beginning to reach them.

“We’ve asked a lot of questions about what do you want to see here from arts and culture to entertainment to types of businesses to transportation and resources, food access, really trying to think holistically about what would be the most helpful for the area,” Schwartz said.

The RDA’s objective is for North Main to have the same resources as downtown, which is seeing phenomenal growth, but still retaining its unique character.

As of right present, there is no set date for the project’s commencement or completion. To get more suggestions, the RDA intends to organize community outreach programs and establish a community council.