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Michael Ferris, retired city manager for the City of Albemarle, has been named a 2024 North Carolina Main Street Champion by the NC Department of Commerce and The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center.
Each year at the NC Main Street Conference, The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center recognizes the efforts of dedicated individuals who have contributed to the success of the local programs across the state.
Each NC Main Street program may designate one individual, couple, organization, business partnership or civic entity as their community’s NC Main Street Champion. The designation honors those persons who have made extraordinary contributions to their downtown.
“Downtown is the heart and identity of a community. It’s one of the clearest reflections of who we are and where we’ve come from,” said Ferris, Albemarle’s 2024 NC Main Street Champion. “I’m honored to be recognized for our work in preserving the city’s past while also shaping it into a destination where people can live, work, and play. Albemarle is a great example of the positive transition textile communities can make.”
As city manager from 2014 to 2024, Ferris played a key role in the revitalization of Downtown Albemarle, overseeing the development of a streetscape master plan that created a new identity and sense of place. This plan transformed a former alleyway into what is now known as Courthouse Plaza, the newest downtown public gathering space. The streetscape master plan also inspired numerous other downtown improvements.
Ferris also guided the recruitment of Pfeiffer University’s Center for Health Sciences. Since 2020, the program has brought more than 200 graduate students to downtown Albemarle, helping to draw new businesses and housing developments. This project previously earned a North Carolina Main Street Award for Best Public-Private Partnership.
Ferris was also instrumental in the conversion of the historic Albemarle Hotel into market-rate residential and commercial spaces. His leadership helped transform a vacant former fire station into Albemarle’s first brewery, spurring job creation, economic growth, and vibrancy in the area. To further encourage downtown building improvements, Ferris helped establish a catalyst grant program in 2022, providing matching funds for building stabilization and internal improvements.
The City of Albemarle is a North Carolina Main Street Community. The city works in conjunction with Albemarle Downtown, a non-profit dedicated to aiding and promoting the redevelopment, improvement, beautification, and revitalization of downtown Albemarle. The organization is governed by a board of directors and coordinated with the City of Albemarle through the Main Street Manager and a part-time assistant.