A Rutherford County Community Cuts the Ribbon on a Brighter Future
Chimney Rock Village, North Carolina | December 9, 2021--Local leaders celebrated the completion of Phase One of the Chimney Rock Village Streetscape Plan, highlighting significant infrastructure improvements such as a new downtown plaza, redesigned parking and sidewalk areas, the installation of street trees, as well as updates to landscaping and lighting.
“This project is the first step in what we hope will be many streetscape improvements in the Village," Mayor Peter O'Leary told attendees. "We’re a resort town–a cool mountain village–with an old-timey feel. We’re in a beautiful gorge, surrounded by mountains, the State Park, and a gem of a lake just down the road. We’re getting more popular and attracting more visitors all the time."
O'Leary emphasized the importance of the long-needed enhancements for the many visitors who "come here, park their cars and use the Riverwalk, our new trails and our sidewalks. Up until now, the sidewalks and the public gathering spaces in the Village haven’t been kept up and this project is the first step in fixing that issue.”
The Chimney Rock Village Streetscape Plan was developed by the place-based economic development and consulting firm Destination by Design, with extensive input coming from Village leaders, business owners, and other stakeholders.
The New Village Square Plaza
A key feature now open to the public is the new Village Square, a 3,000 square foot plaza centrally located on Main Street and situated along the banks of the Rocky Broad River. This newly-constructed outdoor space serves as a gateway to the picturesque Riverwalk and provides outdoor furnishings, encouraging visitors to pause in their explorations of Main Street.
A locally-sourced boulder was cut in two and placed at the plaza's entry to echo the iconic Chimney Rock profile and thus tie the constructed space with the surrounding natural world.
Repurposed commemorative pavers from the original Riverwalk entrance along with a large Chimney Rock Village Emblem also feature prominently in the design.
The plaza is a catalyst project for Chimney Rock Village, featuring a number of design elements that will carry through into other phases of redevelopment.
Celebrating the Past, Positioned for Rutherford's Future
Chimney Rock Village has served for more than 100 years as a classic gateway community whose volume of visitors (more than 260,000 annually) attests to the allure of the natural wonder that is Chimney Rock Park.
Now travelers and residents will have even more to enjoy and the town will have greater capacity. With increased opportunities for outdoor gatherings, for dining and shopping, along with improved parking, traffic flow and walkability, the Chimney Rock Village Streetscape Plan is designed to attract more visitors and encourage longer stays.
“It’s a place for the people who live here to gather and enjoy Chimney Rock Village," said Carol Pritchett, mayor of nearby Lake Lure. "Of course, what’s good for residents is good for visitors. This project makes life better for all of us.”
The Rutherford Bound Initiative
Don Cason, Executive Director of the Rutherford County Tourism and Development Authority, expressed excitement about this project as a large step toward the economic and quality of life transformation of Rutherford County.
“When you build a better place to live, work, and play, you build a place that people want to visit and when we invest in ourselves, then it brings in new investment," Cason said. "It also brings people who want to visit, and you’ve heard it a number of times–Chimney Rock and Lake Lure are all about the visitors.”
The Chimney Rock Village Streetscape Plan is part of the Rutherford Bound initiative, a bold vision for tourism and economic development in the area. Led by the Rutherford County Tourism Development Authority, the RCTDA and other local leaders seek to revitalize and enhance the quality of life infrastructure across all of Rutherford County through similar streetscape projects, new parks and recreation areas, and a system of greenways, trails, and river access points.
The Chimney Rock Village Streetscape Plan was developed by the place-based economic development and consulting firm Destination by Design, with extensive input coming from Village leaders, business owners, and other stakeholders.
A number of local and county leaders and other stakeholders commemorated the ribbon-cutting event:
Peter O’Leary, Mayor, Chimney Rock Village
Carol Pritchett, Mayor, Lake Lure
Emily Walker, Chimney Rock State Park
James Ledgerwood, Superintendent, Chimney Rock State Park
Eric Woolridge, President, Destination by Design
Wilkie Construction
Dave Long, Rutherford County Tourism and Development Authority
Don Cason, Rutherford Bound & Community Foundation
Opportunities for Giving
The complete Chimney Rock Village Streetscape Plan will require multiple phasing and significant fundraising and grantmaking efforts. Interested residents and visitors are encouraged to learn more and make tax-deductible donations.
