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Downtown is the heart of just about any place in the South, and Murphy is no exception. While the economy dramatically slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the town worked hard afterward to become a N.C. Main Street community, and things have only been looking up since then.
Laura Lachance, downtown development director for the town, updated the Rotary Club of Murphy on Oct. 6 with the economic progress occurring around the area where Hiwassee Street, Peachtree Street, Tennessee Street and Valley River Avenue meet on the square.
What makes up downtown Murphy? There are more than 30 retailers; more than 20 food and drink establishments; three arts organizations; attractions like a museum, theater and music venues; financial institutions; multiple real estate institutions; vacation accommodations; second-floor residences; churches; and, of course, the town and Cherokee County governments.
There are 474 parking spots to go with 195 parcels, 91 first-floor storefronts and a vacancy rate of only 5%. And because the center of commerce is overwhelmingly filled with locally owned businesses, the money you spend here, stays here.
What do the numbers say? Here are some important statistics for downtown Murphy in the 2024-25 fiscal year, which were likely down somewhat due to Hurricane Helene hitting western North Carolina one year ago this month:
- 1.9 million annual trips made;
- 81% of visitors live within 30 miles, so it’s not just popular with tourists;
- $5.8 million in private investments and $349,500 in public investments;
- six building improvements;
- three façade improvements.
In addition, the 800 hours of work done by volunteers is worth $26,000.
What type of businesses would make nice additions to downtown? Electronics, groceries, home furnishings and beer, wine and liquor are three of the most underrepresented retail areas, according to the impact of Main Street report.
What’s coming up? There are several ongoing development projects that will undoubtedly improve downtown’s overall appearance and attendance:
- town square project with four pocket parks – including a stage for community use, 16 benches, nine roundtables 36 chairs, new landscaping and lighting – primarily paid for by two grants from the N.C. Department of Commerce and scheduled to be completed in December;
- milling and repaving of state roads – which includes the much-debated roundabout, of which there have been few recent complaints – paid for by the N.C. Department of Transportation;
- new Town of Murphy entrance signs in three directions – by McDonald’s to the west, by the Hampton Inn to the east, and at the intersection of U.S. 64 and U.S. 19/74/129 to the south, scheduled to be installed in November;
- Wiggles Building improvements and future rental for just the right business;
- new boardwalk on the Murphy River Walk, one of the gems in town.
How can you help? Friends of Downtown Murphy is a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency created to support the area. The purpose is to provide educational and charitable resources in order to promote and strengthen downtown and preserve its historic character.
That’s what I like the most about the Main Street program and where Murphy’s going – yes, we want to move forward with new businesses, but we don’t want to lose what makes our downtown special and unique. We’re not exactly like everywhere else, and that’s OK, because what we have is what keeps us here or what brought us here in the first place.
David Brown is publisher of the Cherokee Scout. Call him with comments and questions at 828-837-5122 or email dbrown@cherokeescout.com.