Waynesville forms new nonprofit to boost downtown revival
Downtown Waynesville’s revitalization efforts continue as the town formally establishes a new nonprofit arm to support events, fundraising and future growth.
File photo
Waynesville took another step toward stabilizing its downtown program on Oct. 28, approving incorporation papers for a new nonprofit that will let the town’s Downtown Waynesville Commission accept tax-deductible donations and compete for grants.
The move formalizes a structure town leaders have inched toward since the collapse of the old Downtown Waynesville Association, which once managed festivals, promotions and revitalization efforts but unraveled amid transparency concerns and contract turmoil in 2021.
“Several months ago, I came before you to ask for approval to move forward with the formation of a 501(c)3 nonprofit as an extension of the Downtown Waynesville Commission,” said Beth Gilmore, executive director of the DWC. “I am back tonight to present to you the articles of incorporation that were prepared by [Town Attorney Martha Bradley] for the formation of that nonprofit.”
Council approved the articles unanimously. The decision gives the DWC access to revenue streams the town could not pursue on its own while maintaining public oversight. It also aligns Waynesville with how many North Carolina Main Street programs blend municipal boards with independent fundraising arms, a hybrid model the town began building after it replaced the DWA with a new advisory panel in early 2022.
The 2021 DWA implosion began after aldermen questioned the DWA’s contract renewal, citing accountability and public access issues. Weeks later, after a tense and unusual special called meeting, the DWA narrowly survived on a short leash before town leaders ultimately took over management of the municipal service district later that year.
Since then, council has worked to rebuild a predictable calendar and boost confidence among merchants. As reported in February 2024, the commission spent much of its first two years on organizational work and on re-establishing how special events are planned and funded.
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Other efforts reflected the town’s efforts to balance pedestrian life with policy changes, including the tabled social district proposal as well as the attempt to reclaim downtown’s visual identity.
After the nonprofit vote, Mayor Gary Caldwell asked Gilmore to brief council on the Church Street Art & Craft Show, a signature event that has served as a barometer for the DWC’s capacity since the DWA’s demise.
“It was great. The weather was perfect. We had about 100 vendors, which is consistent with Church Street. We’ve gotten great feedback from all of the merchants. It was a record-breaking day for them, until Apple Harvest Fest came the following weekend, and then that became the new record,” Gilmore said of the town’s signature fall outdoor event. “But it actually ran so smooth that it scared me. I thought I had forgotten something or overlooked something. It was really a great day.”
Gilmore added that design changes downtown forced a rethink that ended up improving vendor load-in, load-out and pedestrian movement.
Council member Anthony Sutton praised the reworked footprint that spread activity more evenly and eased bottlenecks.
“I really like the new setup,” Sutton said of the Church Street layout. “There was spacing, and it just — the flow just went so much better.”
“That came about somewhat organically because of the bump-outs that we’ve added to the street,” Gilmore said. “It forced us to spread the layout out just a little bit. But I agree, it worked very well. It actually created a very smooth traffic pattern when traffic was coming in for the vendors to set up their booths and then to get off the street at the end of the day. It created a lot more space for the traffic to get through there, and I didn’t have any angry vendors that day that I was aware of. It was a very, very smooth operation.”
Taken together, the nonprofit and the successful Church Street event suggest the commission is moving from triage to growth. The DWA saga left a vacuum that complicated planning, fundraising and communications. The commission has now secured the tool it lacked — an independent charitable arm — while proving it can continue to execute large events that drive sales on Main Street.
The DWC’s next test will be sustaining that momentum through the holiday season and into next year’s calendar, when grant cycles and sponsorship pitches will hinge on the new nonprofit’s tax status.
