2/18/05

What's Happening in Holly Springs?
Public Forum Discussion on Latest Town Developments March 2

Fill in the blank: When is Holly Springs going to get a ________ store? What's being constructed off ________ Road? I've heard a ________ store is coming to town; is this true? When is ________ going to open?

Invariably, the Holly Springs Economic Development Department staff answers these questions and more on a daily basis. Because of the interest, the department is holding a public forum on Wednesday, March 2, from 6-8 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers.

“We give that information out on a daily basis, mostly to businesses interested in opening in Holly Springs, but people in town might be interested in learning more, too,” said Jenny Mizelle, Economic Development director.

The informal forum will provide an opportunity for Mizelle, Town Manager Carl Dean and Economic Development Coordinator Irena Krstanovic to give an overview of new and upcoming commercial and residential development in town. And, citizens will be encouraged to ask questions and steer the discussion.

Highlights of the program include:

• Current and projected town demographics
• Progress of major town developments, including I-540, library, high school, cultural center
• Town growth areas and trends

The Economic Development Department has been described as a one-stop shop for information on the town.

“In most cases, we are the first contact for developers,” Mizelle said.

In addition to regularly providing a wealth of information about the town, the department links land owners with developers, acts as a referral service, provides public relations at the state and regional levels for the town, helps market potential town businesses of varying sizes – from $300 million prospects to home-based businesses – and spearheads community development projects, such as the library and cultural center development and World Changers Week.

It is this information that Mizelle plans to share with residents in the public forum.

“There has been and continues to be a remarkable change in the landscape of Holly Springs,” Mizelle said. “We'll be talking about all the exciting developments that are either underway or coming soon.”

Mizelle emphasized that the forum would be an informal question and answer session with the public steering the discussion. For additional information about the forum, contact Economic Development at (919) 557-3923.

Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us