What Is REV Uptown And What Does It Really Mean For Wadesboro And Anson County?

If you follow AnsonEDP, you probably saw the announcement yesterday about something called REV Uptown, but what is it, really, and what will it mean for Wadesboro? REV Uptown is an audacious and forward-thinking project being undertaken by the Anson Economic Development Corporation with support from Anson County, the Town of Wadesboro, the Anson County Chamber of Commerce, Anson EDP, Uptown Wadesboro  and the Anson County Tourism Development Authority. Located in the old Roses building at 114 West Wade Street, it will be a 3,400 square foot facility that will house a coffee shop, visitor center, offices of several key community development organizations and a business incubator and co-working space which will attract business start-ups and provide local entrepreneurs with a place to get started. The Rev Uptown concept simultaneously addresses several issues identified by those organizations and by the public at-large which impact the ability of the community to grow and develop:

Attractive and Informative Visitor Center:  While information about the county's dining, lodging, entertainment and recreational opportunities has been available at the Chamber of Commerce and other venues around town, we have not had a central location where out-of-towners could come and learn about these things in an attractive, upscale environment. REV Uptown will prominently feature a new visitor center operated by the Anson County Tourism Development Authority. There will be additional signage directing travelers off the highway and into uptown, and an interactive kiosk where visitors can learn more about the county and our assets.

Uptown Coffee Shop and Gathering Place:  Perhaps the most common complaint we hear about the uptown from both the public and the business community is the lack of a casual gathering place. In many communities a "Main Street" coffee shop serves this function; a place where business people can meet and talk over a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll or friends can gather and discuss the news of the day. As we were thinking about the design for REV Uptown, we knew we wanted to integrate this concept, and we were fortunate to find experienced and willing partners in Speckled Paw Coffee, who operate just such a gathering place just a few miles up the road in Mt. Gilead. 

Development on the West Side of Town:  While REV Uptown will be located just a few hundred feet from the current Chamber and economic development offices, it will significantly shift foot traffic patterns and create a more desirable business environment on the west side of Greene Street, potentially helping fill the other vacant storefronts on that side of town. This will also help to better distribute parking patterns along Wade Street and free up some premium spots for the businesses there.

Business Incubator and Co-working Space:  There are three ways new jobs are created; new businesses coming to town, existing businesses growing, and local people starting new businesses. REV Uptown will feature private offices, semi-private workstations and co-working space which will provide new businesses coming to town with a cost-effective place to set up and get established while their permanent locations are being renovated or built, as well as a space for locals looking to get a new business venture off the ground. With co-working space starting at just $50/month, bootstrappers, freelancers and other entrepreneurs who may not need a full-time office, but need a professional space to do administrative work and meet with clients can easily create room in their budgets. This strategy has been successful in other communities similar in size and demographics to Wadesboro, and we are excited to bring it to Anson County!

All of the Key Community Organizations in One Place:  Community organizations often fall prey to "silo" thinking, carving out a niche and defending it against all the others. Fortunately, we do not have that problem to any significant degree in Anson County. The Chamber of Commerce, Uptown Wadesboro, AnsonEDP and the TDA all work very well with each other, sharing many common board members and a genuine camaraderie between directors. We often work together on business recruiting and community events. The only real issue has been proximity, having to refer people to offices up the stairs or across the street in order to get an answer. With all of these organizations now in one place, a tourism-related business that wants to locate uptown now has a "one stop shop" to get all of their questions answered and the process started. Oh, and they can get a cup of coffee at the same time.

REV Uptown is a BIG deal for Wadesboro and Anson County. I'm not certain that even those of us who have been involved from the beginning truly understand what a game-changer this will be. It is much more than just a coffee shop or a visitor center; it is a new way of looking at Anson County and our economic future. Who knows what groundbreaking new technologies or fast-growth new companies will come out of the incubator, or how many people will wander off the highway, have a cup of coffee, pick up a brochure and decide to stay? This is important news, folks, and we need to celebrate it and share it!