City of Hickory receives state grant for downtown streetscape improvements

The City of Hickory is one of seven grant recipients in the State of North Carolina’s new Rural Downtown Economic Development program.

Last month, Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Commerce announced the award of an $850,000 grant to the City of Hickory to assist with two streetscape projects in the downtown Hickory area. 

The grant funding will be used to upgrade the streetscapes on Government Avenue SW from First Street SW to Third Street SW and on First Avenue NW between North Center Street and Second Street NW. 

The improvements will include wider sidewalks, enhanced outdoor spaces, bulb outs, and improved lighting on both sides of the street to match the existing streetscapes in the downtown area.

At its July 16 meeting, Hickory City Council unanimously approved an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Commerce for the Rural Downtown Economic Development Grant, which requires a 5% match from the City of Hickory.

City staff have begun full design work on the streetscape improvements, and the project should be competitively bid later this year. All work must be completed by Dec. 31, 2026.

The Rural Downtown Economic Development Grants program provides grants to local governments to support downtown revitalization and economic development initiatives that are intended to help local governments grow and leverage downtown districts as assets for economic growth, economic development, and prosperity by providing public improvements to help retain businesses and leverage main street assets for community-wide use. Funding availability is at the discretion of the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority.