Pictured above: Kathy Deacon (Martinsville Bulletin Photo)
By Holly Kozelsky
A new executive director and funding are poised to bring Uptown Martinsville back as the destination people want to be.
And it all starts with a survey that asks local residents what they want to see in uptown Martinsville.
Kathy Deacon, the new and first executive director of Uptown Partnership, said the organization has a strategy for revitalizing uptown Martinsville — and that starts with a survey in which residents can share their opinions and insight.
Kathy Deacon came on board May 3 as the executive director of the recently formed Uptown Partnership, which is operating with a 3-year, $350,200 grant from the Harvest Foundation.
The revival of Uptown depends on the input of people who are part of the community, Deacon said. That all starts with residents’ sharing what they like about Uptown and what they would like to see change through the 24 questions of the Martinsville Community Market Survey. The survey will be open through May 20.