If the city of Henderson were to write a letter to Santa this year, you can bet that increased downtown economic development would be somewhere on the Christmas wish list.

City officials heard an update from Downtown Development Director Tracy Madigan recently about what’s going on downtown, and it sounds like some of those wishes could be coming true.

The Thursday edition of The Local Skinny! ran down a list of openings and re-openings that are happening now in downtown Henderson.

• For starters, holiday decorations are going up Friday evening, just in time for the Christmas parade that will take place on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 4 p.m.
• Did you know that a grocery store is planned for Horner Street? Madigan said she doesn’t have many details yet, but even a small retail grocery that neighbors can walk to would be welcome.
• The Gear and Beer shop has opened
• The former Screenmaster location is being converted to an all-inclusive office space.
• Madigan told the council that the city will have to invest in new banners, because the brackets in place now on newly installed Duke utility poles won’t accommodate the existing banners.
• The much-talked -about brewery in the former Falkner Coal and Oil building is making progress. Madigan said the owner is a “pay-as-you-go businessman,” so it could take a while to come to fruition.
• Bombshell Nail and Spa has opened; the business has applied for a façade grant.
• Citizens Pub, at the corner of Breckenridge and Garnett streets is set to reopen as an event center

In addition to the retail news, Madigan shared with council members several beautification projects in various stages of completion:

• There are plantings outside McGregor Hall, courtesy of Franklin Bros. Nursery
• Four more benches have been ordered for the downtown area and should arrive in the next month
• Plans to have crosswalk art have been submitted to NC Department of Transportation for approval

Visit https://hendersonncdowntown.org/ to learn more.