Economic Vitality

According to Main Street America, Economic Vitality involves taking a proactive, collaborative approach to building and growing a diverse economic base through smart new investment, cultivating a robust ecosystem for small businesses, focusing on the unique assets of your community, and fostering equity and inclusion to create an environment to help build local wealth.

But before we talk about the “here and now” … allow me to take you back in time! It’s a lovely Saturday morning in 1965 on Queen Street. The ladies from Washington D.C. are lining the sidewalks outside of the Cohen & Sons building (now Brix27) for their famous Fine Fur Sale. They’ve likely been window shopping at L.A. Roberts Jewelers while waiting for the doors to open.

Weaving in-between the line of ladies are several blue collared men stocking up on everything they needed from the Working Man’s Store (located where the Young American is today) to pick up bolts, paint, or anything else they needed to get the job done!

Nearby, a young couple heads toward Patterson’s to pick up a prescription for their sick child. They’re thankful to live just blocks from their pharmacy and are especially looking forward to enjoying a JoJo while they wait.

Of course, everyone on Queen Street is enjoying the sapid smells filling the downtown air from the Blue White, a few doors down… many are likely planning their lunch stop after running errands. Whatever you needed, you could get it in Downtown Martinsburg, and for many it was the only place you could access those goods or services.

A few years later, Martinsburg is hit hard by the news: in 1970 The Interwoven Mills announce that they are closing, and operations are moving to North Carolina. This move takes with it a significant portion of local jobs. The blow is compounded by the fact that in 1966 Interstate 81 had rerouted much of the traffic that once flowed through Route 11, affecting local business visibility and access.

Soon after, the Berkeley Plaza opens just outside of town, offering ample parking, lower lease rates, and a modern appeal. It marks the beginning of a nationwide trend: downtowns across America are being abandoned in favor of car-centric strip malls and shopping centers.

Fast forward to 2025, and shopping looks completely different. If you need a new vacuum, you don’t visit a local Hoover store—you order it on Amazon. Entertainment has shifted, too. Instead of heading downtown for a movie, people stream their favorite shows at home. Grocery shopping? No need to walk the aisles—just park, pop your trunk, and let someone else load it in.

Downtown no longer functions the way it once did. Corporate consolidation, highway expansion, and the rise of the internet have reshaped consumer behavior. That said, downtown still holds immense potential for our local economy.

To achieve true Economic Vitality, however, we must rethink our approach. The game has changed—and so must our playbook.

Enter stage left, Economic Vitality.

As mentioned earlier, one of the core principles of this approach is focusing on our unique local assets—something Martinsburg has in abundance.

Our historic buildings are not just architecturally beautiful—they're symbolic of the city’s identity. City leadership has shown great commitment to revitalizing many of the downtown district’s Brownfield properties. Given our deep roots in agriculture and industry, many of these structures—especially those tied to the railroads—are some of the most iconic in our city. Years of vacancy and underinvestment left their mark, but the recent renaissance at Interwoven Mills is a shining example of what’s possible when vision meets action.

One of our most impactful programs is the USDA Mini Loan, which we offer to small businesses within our Downtown District. This initiative has supported dozens of qualifying businesses in rehabilitating and revitalizing their spaces—strengthening both their operations and the broader Main Street footprint.

We also contribute to revitalization efforts through active advocacy. Main Street Martinsburg regularly engages with officials at all levels of government to promote policies that support our downtown and its stakeholders. For insight into the issues we're addressing, take a look at the recently released Main Street America 2025–26 Policy Agenda. This document outlines the current policy challenges and recommends responses for federal, state, and local governments.

Without support like Historic Tax Credit legislation, transformative projects such as the Shenandoah Apartments (the first project to take advantage of the WV historic tax credit increase from 10% to 25% at the end of 2017) and Interwoven Lofts wouldn't be possible. These are prime examples of successful public-private partnerships that generate real benefits for the local community and economy.

Help Shape the Future

One of the keys to success for Main Street communities is staying in tune with both local and national economic trends. Martinsburg has certainly experienced its fair share of ups and downs. But through smart investments, business retention and recruitment efforts, and community input, we can ensure that our downtown evolves to meet the needs of today’s residents and visitors.

Whether it's more upper-level housing, shared commercial space, or businesses that complement each other, we envision a downtown that once again becomes a one-stop-shop for the things that bring you joy. Through unique experiences, specialty shops, and top-notch dining, we’re building a district that’s vibrant, inclusive, and full of life. You can help us do this by filling out our Community Survey to help us shape our transformation strategy! Transformation Strategies are prescribed by Main Street America and are generated through meaningful community engagement and informed by an analysis of the district’s market position. Their purpose is help to help guide our program’s revitalization efforts. An effective Transformation Strategy serves a particular customer segment, responds to an underserved market demand, or creates a differentiated destination.