We will conclude this series about ”what a difference a year makes” today with three more important lessons learned this past year.

All three can be important for any Main Street director. These have been lessons learned over my one year on the job and very valuable for us all. They have been digested and reported to our board for future growth.

Let us start with the importance of collaboration with our sister organizations.

There is no one group that without the support of others can get this job done (revitalization). Teamwork in a small community is vital for the success of the central business district. All four organizations are different and have missions and visions that vary in many ways. Still, their goals are to help make Washington better in their respective areas. Even though their separate goals and objectives may differ, working together can and will help Washington’s harbor district remain substantial and vibrant. No one organization has the financial support without collaborating as a team to help bring change. This collaboration is essential to ensure success for our harbor district and those involved.

The need for a boutique hotel to anchor our existing Main Street also has been the most prominent need. We have known this before coming on board the WHDA.

However, this has become more apparent after walking and meeting local merchants. We need an anchor! Washington has the restaurants and retail shops, and the civic center is close enough to hold meetings. We must have this hotel where groups can stay to provide the foot traffic needed for our merchants while the meetings take place. There has been much talk about this, but to this date, only one small possibility. This is a major objective for the WHDA’s economic team. This is something that should have been done years ago, but thanks to our economic team, it is a possibility and could be a reality in the years to come. It will benefit our merchants and all of Washington. Let us hope the continued efforts of the WHDA can make this a reality sooner than later.

Lastly, but certainly not the least important, is the need for a cleaner downtown area. Yes, there has been something done to help, but not enough. Our sidewalks need to be kept clean, with paper and trash removed daily and curbing kept cleaner.

If Main Street is the gateway to Washington, should it not be clean and neat looking all the time? The WHDA is doing as much as possible, along with the owners and merchants. We would like to see more attention paid in this area to better our central business district and help to attract more visitors and possible shoppers.

We have found that there has been much learned that can be of help in the future.

Your WHDA is doing all it can to ensure success. Our board has restructured in a positive way to better serve you, and in my next article, we will discuss this for you, so that you will understand the impact it can have moving forward.

Also, please help your friends and neighbors by shopping local and helping our cash registers ring.

Please continue to shop, dine and play in historic Washington, N.C., and if you have time, take a walk with the H-Rob!

Harold Robinson is the director of development at the Washington Harbor District Alliance.