The Yancey-Mitchell Board of Realtors® used a $5,000 Smart Growth Grant from the National Association of Realtors® to fund a Main Street Development Assessment for the Town of Spruce Pine. “Realtors® care deeply about the quality of life in their community and that is why the Yancey-Mitchell association sought this grant opportunity,” said Michael Cooper, Regional Government Affairs Director for the North Carolina Association of Realtors®. “As we come out of the pandemic more Americans are choosing to spread out and that gives this region new ways to grow and thrive economically. This Smart Growth Grant will help planners and policy makers think strategically about economic development in Spruce Pine and the surrounding area.”
The Yancey-Mitchell Board of Realtors® received the $5,000 grant in the fall of 2021 and used the funding to hire Hilary Greenberg, a Charlotte based planning and economic development consultant, to conduct the assessment in coordination with Libby Phillips of the Spruce Pine Main Street Organization. Greenberg visited the area in November to meet with local officials and business owners. The assessment was completed during the final week of December and the report is full of analysis and recommendations for supporting the downtown and growing the local economy. “We are looking forward to utilizing the assessment as a tool to help us in our strategic planning for downtown and were thrilled with the opportunity the grant provided” stated Libby Phillips.
NAR offers Smart Growth Grants to state and local Realtor® Associations around the country to support a wide range of activities and initiatives, including growth and development symposia; community visioning sessions; growth studies; transportation and walkability action plans; community planning and zoning policy; and the Smart Growth for the 21st Century course.
The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. With over 60 members, the Yancey-Mitchell Board of Realtors® is proud to offer some of the finest properties in the Blue Ridge Mountains.