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Rocky Mount approves $485,045 downtown grant for May & Gorham redevelopment; city to cover culvert work
Summary
City council approved a downtown major investment award to support rehabilitation of the May & Gorham building at 101–110 N. Washington St., including a $173,651 city-paid culvert stabilization, with developer investment of about $2.43 million and occupancy aimed for Q3 2026.
Rocky Mount City Council on Feb. 10 approved a downtown major investment award and related budget ordinance to support rehabilitation of the historic May & Gorham building at 101–110 North Washington Street.
The developer, MF Triangles, proposed converting the three-building complex into mixed use with eight apartments and three commercial spaces. City staff said the total project investment is about $2,425,000 and that the city grant requested is $485,045, equal to 20 percent of the project cost; an additional $270,000 of previously approved city grant funds will be applied, bringing the city share to roughly 31 percent excluding separate culvert work.
Why it matters: the building is listed in the National Register and the project uses historic fabric while adding downtown housing and commercial space. Council approval unlocks city grant funds and a separate city expense to stabilize an underground stormwater culvert that runs beneath the building’s basement.
City staff told council the rehabilitation would create two storefronts of about 1,000 square feet each and a restaurant space in the former pharmacy. The proposal includes work to infill and stabilize the crawl space, encapsulate the storm sewer and repair adjacent sidewalks; staff estimated that culvert stabilization at city expense will cost $173,651 and asked the council to approve that budget amendment.
The city presentation said the developer already owns multiple properties in Rocky Mount and expects occupancy in the third quarter of 2026 if the schedule is met. Councilman Blackwell moved approval; Councilman Knight seconded. The motion carried on the council’s vocal vote.
Council members expressed support for downtown momentum and coordination with other neighborhood projects; no public speakers addressed this item at the hearing.
The council also authorized the mayor and city clerk to execute the grant agreement and the memorandum of agreement tying the city’s culvert work to the redevelopment funding.
