Swansboro has town square

 This story was updated at 5:34 p.m. Monday.

SWANSBORO - A key piece of property in downtown Swansboro is now at the heart of the town's commitment to downtown revitalization efforts.

The town has purchased a 0.259-acre property that will serve as a public square, ensuring the town has a place for festivals, community events and other public gatherings in the downtown district.

"We want to make good decisions for all of Swansboro and we know this is a good decision for the historic downtown district. This shows our strong commitment to preserving the downtown district and enhancing it for the future," said Mayor Scott Chadwick.

Chadwick announced the town's purchase of the property Friday at the site, which sits on the east side of Church Street between Front and Water streets.

The town purchased the property, which was appraised at $660,000, from Janice Bynum and Kay Gillette for $550,000. The purchase agreement included a provision delaying payment of $190,000 of the purchase cost - at zero interest - for seven years.

The purchase comes with the unanimous approval of the Board of Commissioners and fulfills a recommendation of the 15-year-old Waterfront Conservation and Development Plan.

"We are presenting to you today the place that future generations will always be able to enjoy as the hub of people activity in historic downtown Swansboro - a place of friendship, fellowship and celebration in our scenic waterfront area," Chadwick said during the announcement.

Swansboro resident Marlene Croup saw the town's new community room while attending Friday's senior information fair and was equally impressed with the news of the town's downtown purchase.

"We need something to keep our town going; we need things like this," she said.

Chadwick said the downtown development plan was put on a shelf and collected dust for years. The current board, he said, is committed to action.

He cited other downtown improvement efforts over the past 18 months, including the completion of Riverview Park, the establishment of the Visitors Center, and launching of the Downtown Renaissance Initiative.

"We are going to continue, this is not the last thing we are going to do," Chadwick said. "This is just the beginning, not the end."

The northern end of the property contains a vacant ranch-style home. The board has agreed to explore the sale and redevelopment of that portion of the tract "in a manner and on terms that will encourage new business investment that can contribute to the economy of the downtown business district."

The southern portion will be kept as a public square/park. In the past, the property has been borrowed or leased for use for downtown events and festivals.