Select light poles on Roanoke Avenue will soon be adorned with new banners thanks to a donation from Dominion Power.

The $2,500 donation funded 17 banners in what will be the first phase of the project, said Sherry Hux, Roanoke Rapids Main Street director. “We’re thankful to them,” she said of Dominion. “We’re very grateful. Without them we would not be able to have those for the first phase of the banner program. We hope to add additional ones in the future.”

The banners, which feature the clock in Centennial Park, are the result of a lengthy branding and logo project for the Main Street program. “We were looking for a symbol or an icon that would represent our program. We looked at many individual things and settled on the clock.”

The clock was used as the original artwork in the city’s application for the Main Street program but its story runs deeper and has more meaning than just a mere clock.

A mockup of the banner from the designer.

The clock was a gift to the city to honor the legacy of Roanoke Avenue businessmen. Their sons raised the $33,000 for the clock, calling themselves the Sons of Businessmen.

Not only is the clock a representation of time past, present and future, Hux said, it is a representation of avenue business owners past, present and future. “We felt like it was a beautiful and appropriate marker.”

The Roanoke Avenue Business Alliance board has not decided where the first 17 banners will be placed, Hux said. “We will have more discussions. I think it’s important to note this is the first phase. We don’t want anyone to feel overlooked. We have to plan carefully on how we place them.”

Hux expects the banners to be placed this month.

Meanwhile, Hux said artist Napoleon Hill is working on art panels that will go above the bakery and Northeastern Safety Supply. Hill is working on six panels that will feature artwork representative of the businesses and the avenue.

The panels will resemble ones on display in the window of Dixon Realty, located at the corner of Tenth and the avenue.

Those panels are expected to remain on display a while longer, Hux said. “They’ve made such a difference at that corner. They’ve made it so much more attractive.”