“I think the numbers speak for themselves,” said Caudle, the city's main street development director, as she gave the annual report for last fiscal year today. “We've done a lot in five short years. There's no reason in another 10 to 15 years we can't be Goldsboro or another community. We're doing the right things.”

Caudle told the audience, made up of Main Street board members and other officials, that she has a huge personal stake in the program. “I want more for my child and future children.”

Caudle, who came onboard in February after the city agreed to enter a partnership with the Main Street program, said, “I can't stress the importance of the partnership. The city employees pulled together. We're very happy that it's in place.”

Councilwoman Suetta Scarbrough told Caudle, “I'm so happy you're at the helm. You're doing a fantastic job. We are well pleased.”

Caudle said the aim in the new fiscal year is to continue exploring what can be done to revive the Main Street business district, which happens to be the second largest historic district in the state, stretching two miles and incorporating Hamilton and Jackson streets as well as the mill village.

During the course of inclusion in the Main Street program, volunteers have logged more than 6,000 hours — 1,806 this year. That, she said, represents a savings of $38,000 and an in-kind donation of $129,038.

There have been 30 new jobs created in the avenue business district and 25 percent of all permits issued in the city have been within the district.

Part of the focus in this fiscal year will be to recruit new businesses to the district and increase the number of people on the Main Street Roanoke Rapids board. “We want to develop a street scape plan and come up with a design,” she said.

Main Street is compiling a database of all properties as a way to identify what is for lease or sale.

Besides monetary donations, Caudle said there are other ways the community can help, either by being a board or committee member or by volunteering at Main Street events.

In a snapshot of what has been happening on the avenue, there have been 15 facade updates; 10 building renovations and a net business gain of seven.

New public investment is at $138,867, which is a 10 percent increase over the last fiscal year. Total new investment is at $487,274 and net new private investment is at $348,407. Total private and public investment surpassed $1.8 million in five years.