Business and Community Development

The Office of Business and Community Development addresses a broad range of quality of life and public safety aspects through several core functions, including:

• Business Development:  Recruit new retail and restaurant businesses and provide support to existing businesses, assist local entrepreneurs in opening targeted business opportunities.
• Community Development:  Work with partners such as the Lexington Homeownership Center and the Lexington Redevelopment Commission to initiate, seek grant funding, and administer revitalization and economic development efforts. Provide staff support to the Appearance Commission.
• Zoning and Land Use:  Maintain and enforce local zoning codes.  Develop short and long range plans. Provide staff support to the Planning Board/Board of Adjustment and the Historic Preservation Commission.
• Inspections and Code Enforcement:  Enforce local nuisance and cleanliness codes, the Minimum Housing Code, and the NC State Building Code.

Recent initiatives include: securing a $700,000 federal planning grant for development of a passenger rail station; planning for redevelopment of the Depot District, securing and administering a $1 million grant to revitalize a target area within Erlanger Mill Village; and securing and administering a $2.1 million Neighborhood Stabilization grant used to rehab and build new affordable housing. 

The Inspections and Code Enforcement division oversees all building and development activities, processes over 3,000 complaints per year for violations such as overgrown lots, junk cars, junk and debris, and has removed over 175 dilapidated structures through the Blight Removal Program.  For additional information, please contact us.