It's Monday morning and the Radford Coffee Company on Main Street is bustling. Manager Rachel Johnson is proud that the coffee company, a nonprofit, has thrived downtown since it opened a couple years ago. She hopes other businesses will follow.
"When they walk in here, they feel the warmth and they feel at home, so if we could transfer that all the way down, I think the community would embrace that end enjoy having more places to go," said Johnson.
And Johnson may get her wish. The city of Radford has been accepted into Virginia Main Street's downtown revitalization program as a Commercial District Affiliate. That means existing and future businesses will have more support and resources.
"A lot of the downtown businesses are small businesses and often need that additional training and resources and are on small budgets. This effort will open up a lot of opportunities for smaller businesses," said Blair Hoke, economic development director for the city.
From training to grants, Radford is hoping to revamp downtown and create a stronger main street for nearby Radford University students and locals.
"We really would like a unique and eclectic variety of businesses in our downtown corridor," said Hoke.
The city's goal is to eventually become a Main Street Designation Community which means even more resources and opportunities. Radford had that distinction until it expired in 2012. It now has a chance to chase it.
To learn more about the downtown revitalization program, click here.