Kinston has a substantial retail footprint, with more than 3.4 million square feet of retail space across the city. Yet East Kinston — one of Kinston’s most densely populated and historically significant neighborhoods — has access to only a small share of that activity.

Within the East Kinston study area, retail space remains limited and concentrated primarily near downtown and Vernon Avenue. At the same time, vacancy rates in East Kinston are extremely low, signaling demand, not disinterest. Residents consistently identify the need for everyday goods and services — especially food access — alongside opportunities to earn, build skills, and start small businesses.

Our work focuses on economic development that strengthens daily life, not displaces it. Through the Neighborhood Hub campus, we are:

• Creating low-barrier opportunities for local entrepreneurs to sell goods and test ideas during community events

• Supporting food access through community distributions, gardens, and small-scale markets

• Exploring cooperative and community-owned models that keep wealth circulating locally

• Connecting residents and young people to skill-building, digital access, and workforce pathways tied to real opportunities

These efforts allow us to build momentum now, while learning directly from residents what types of businesses, services, and spaces are most needed.

East Kinston has long been impacted by limited access to fresh, affordable food. Rather than waiting for a single large solution, we are taking a layered approach that treats food access as both a health issue and an economic opportunity.

Current and emerging efforts include:

• Community food distributions and mutual aid

• Outdoor markets and pop-up food vendors

• Community gardening and land activation

• Exploration of grocery co-ops and shared food enterprises

These initiatives create pathways for entrepreneurship, workforce experience, and neighborhood-based solutions — while meeting immediate needs. Our efforts at the East Kinston Neighborhood Hub are creating a platform for people-centered economic activity — where learning, entrepreneurship, and work are connected to community well-being. As we continue to build organizational and neighborhood capacity, future phases of the Hub will expand opportunities for:

• Workforce and skills training connected to green infrastructure, technology, and community services

• Small business incubation and shared commercial space

• Jobs tied to operating, maintaining, and programming community assets

Our long-term goal is a just and regenerative neighborhood economy — one that allows residents not only to survive, but to shape, own, and benefit from the future of East Kinston.