By Richard Caines

SALISBURY — Two Salisbury business owners plan to make downtown a thriving part of the city for those to shop, dine or simply come together for events.

Created by Nicole Blackwater and Nicole Rogers, the Downtown Salisbury Business Alliance is a new organization that sprouted out of brainstorming sessions by the duo and a few other business owners as they met for coffee months ago to come up with ideas on how to lure more foot traffic downtown.

Blackwater is the owner of Blackwater Apothecary and Rogers is the owner of Two Scoops Ice Cream & Waffles. The Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce and other dignitaries recognized their founding of the alliance during a March 26 ceremonial ribbon cutting at the intersection of Main and Division streets.

“This is so important to the vibrancy and the economic development of downtown,” Salisbury Area Chamber President and CEO Bill Chambers said. “Our businesses here employ people and contribute important tax dollars to the city. They are the reason why people want to be a part of this vibrant city.”

Membership in the alliance is currently free and businesses registered in downtown Salisbury are eligible to sign up. Blackwater and Rogers said they have already received tons of support from downtown businesses.

“There’s lots of different towns across the United States that have similar alliances,” Blackwater said. “There’s something similar in Snow Hill and I believe Berlin also has something very similar. But we know working as a community, we can always get more done than just with one person.”

The duo said they hope to collaboratively unite in supporting downtown Salisbury by creating a collective voice that fosters revitalization and economic growth through mutual support.

That includes engaging with city officials, pursuing legislative changes, pooling resources and navigating grant applications. Blackwater and Rogers said they also are planning many downtown events including the first-ever Spring Street Market on March 30.

“We’re looking to form an events committee because this has just been me and Nicole,” Rogers said. “We really hope to maybe do quarterly events and just add to what the city already does and just work together.”

Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor said the city believes in its downtown. He said he has owned a downtown building for 25 years and came out of meetings with Blackwater and Rogers impressed.

“I felt their energy for sure, and I appreciate where they are coming from,” Taylor said.

Rogers said starting the alliance came from some desperation as they previously witnessed a lack of foot traffic downtown, either with construction making it hard to visit or during the pandemic.

“All of those things have just kind of resulted in fewer people downtown and what we want to do is get people back,” Rogers said. “We want people to invest in downtown.”

Blackwater said their plans exploded in December, and it has been a whirlwind since then. Since membership is currently free, the alliance relies on donations and sponsorships to operate.

“I’m so glad to see you show up today and I want to make sure that you guys are going to be showing up for us tomorrow,” Blackwater told the crowd gathered for the ribbon cutting.

Reach Managing Editor Richard Caines at rcaines@iniusa.org.