WINTER 2017
Café Spanglish
Sharon Jablonski
A Heart for Her Community
By Sunny Gonzalez-Cepero
Photography: Chris Reynolds
D
uring her 25 years as the director
of Main Street Morganton,
Sharon Jablonski has witnessed
significant growth and positive
changes in Rutherford County’s
neighboring community of Morganton. The
City of Morganton Main Street Department
develops, oversees, and coordinates community
and economic development activities in the
downtown district.
“We represent the property owners and
merchants within a 36-block area, and what
happens in this area has a tremendous impact
on the whole city and the county,” Jablonski
explains. “Our job every day is to work for
economic development, and that’s what we do
here.”
In 1997, under Jablonski’s leadership, the Main
Street Department began implementing a
master plan that has served as the blueprint for
growth over the past 20 years. It has been wildly
successful, attracting nearly $30 million in private
investments in the downtown area during the
plan’s inception. Here are just a few highlights:
•Added 291 new downtown residential units
•Located City Hall in a renovated mill
•Attracted a developer to build a seven-screen
multiplex theater in the heart of downtown
•Grew from only three food establishments to 15
restaurants, three of which are fine dining
•Completed multiple blocks of streetscape
•Created a vibrant Farmers’ Market
Jablonski’s favorite part of her job as Main Street
Director is helping entrepreneurs open their
businesses, develop a business plan, find the
right location, and then watching their dream
come to fruition.
While Jablonski finds her work very rewarding,
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it is not without its challenges. After all, not all
decisions and projects please every merchant
and citizen. Disgruntled residents sometimes
direct their displeasure at the person in charge:
Jablonski. For example, she was once sued
for defamation of character when she asked
a self-proclaimed witch to step down from a
Halloween parade because the public didn’t
support her. Another year, a merchant was so
concerned that new Farmers’ Market would
affect her business, that she did all she could
to try to sabotage Jablonski’s and Main Street’s
efforts.
Fortunately, Jablonski preserved. Stepping down
and retirement are things she has no interest
in. In fact, she is in the process of developing
a new plan for Morganton, which will include
attracting a hotel developer, building residential
developments geared towards Millennials, and
encouraging more businesses to set up shop.
Expect Morganton to continue to thrive and
improve economic stability that benefits us all.
“There’s one thing I know for certain: I don’t
want to do this job anywhere else,” she said.
“You have to have a heart for this job, and
my heart is in this community.” For more
information about Main Street Morganton, visit
DowntownMorganton.com or call (828) 438-5252.