The following story ran in this week's Rocket, but due to technical problems was unreadable. The story will be re-published in it's entirety in the January 10 issue, but we wanted to go ahead and share it with our online readers.

“This is like bringing all the positives of Chetola closer to downtown, and a perfect use for the largest parcel of undeveloped land in the entire downtown area,” said a Main Street restaurant owner. “This project has been well thought out and will be a quality that will truly enhance Blowing Rock’s downtown business district.”
Main Street Village is a project of Chetola Severn Partners, LLC that has been on the drawing board for over a year. The developers, in planning the project, met with numerous business leaders from downtown, city officials, and other residents in reviewing alternatives for the 7.28 acre lot that is located across from Meadowbrook Inn and Boxwood Lodge on North Main.
“We reviewed and listened to a number of citizens as we developed our plans for the project,” said Kent Tarbutton, one of the partners of Main Street Village. “With the help of city officials and others we believe we have come up with a development that will be a major asset to the community and a significant economic boost to the village.”
Main Street Village is a multi-phase project that includes a 72-room hotel, 2 restaurants, 21,000 square feet of retail mixed with 16,000 square feet of office space, and 36 condominium units. The project will include 2 levels of underground parking and surface parking to serve the hotel, restaurant, retail/office uses, as well as private parking for condominium owners.
The plan calls for extensive landscaping, including buffered landscaping between North Main and the structures as well as the residential area and business area. An access street system will run from Hill Street.
Preliminary plans of the development look more like a garden than structures with numerous trees, shrubs, flower gardens, patios, park areas, and a large open lawn that will serve as a hillside garden/gathering space.
The Blowing Rock Planning and Zoning Board got their first look at plans for the development at their meeting Thursday, December 20 and approved the plan that will now go to the Town Council with their positive recommendation. A presentation and public hearing will be held in early 2008.
Pending approval, the project could see a ground breaking in late spring or early summer.