New projects boosted Washington Street
Dec. 27—Editor's note: No. 6 of the top 10 stories of 2023.
HIGH POINT — The past year saw some positives for the Washington Street district, where the city, property owners, nonprofits and others have invested millions of dollars in redevelopment efforts over the years.
In September, the city started construction on a transportation project that High Point voters approved in a 2019 bond referendum. It will shift the part of Washington Street in front of Penn-Griffin School of the Arts parallel to the railroad tracks about 10 feet to the north away from the embankment, where the dirt slopes have encroached close to the roadway due to erosion over the years.
A new, 1,900-foot section of road is being constructed and will include new sidewalks and replacement of water, sewer and stormwater utilities.
According to the city, the project is expected to be completed by May 2024. It's designed to improve safety for the traveling public through the area.
The other major development for Washington Street during the past year was directly related to the historic significance of the district, which was the hub of Black business and cultural life in High Point during the era of segregation.
In November, the City Council adopted the Washington Street Local Historic Overlay District after many years of advocacy by those who say they want to preserve the neighborhood's history.
Several buildings on the street that were nearing 100 years old and either partially collapsed or otherwise in severe disrepair were demolished in the past decade.
This was one factor that sparked preservationists to take action and petition the city for the new rules, which provide an extra layer of protection to the remaining 34 historic structures in the district by making it harder to demolish buildings.
Property owners who want to make exterior changes to their structures or construct additions will have to meet design standards that fit with the architectural character of the district and have their plans approved by the city's Historic Preservation Commission.
The district qualified for local overlay designation, according to the city, because it "contains the most cohesive, intact collection of early- to mid-twentieth-century commercial, institutional, ecclesiastical, and residential buildings associated with High Point's African American community."
