Chugging along.

• Author: Pomeranz, Jim
• Position: TOWNSQUARE: Rocky Mount

CAN A MAJOR RAIL HUB AND A CREATIVE MILL VILLAGE RENOVATION BRING PROSPERITY TO ROCKY MOUNT? VETERAN INDUSTRY RECRUITER NORRIS TOLSON SEES PROGRESS COMING DOWN THE LINE.

It's just after noon, and The Prime Smokehouse on Thomas Street in Rocky Mount is about two-thirds full. It's a relatively slow day for the restaurant that Ed Wiley opened in 2013 after city leaders sought something to attract people downtown. "We're usually packed by now, and there's a line outside," a waitress says. For a good reason: The aroma of smoked meats fills the air more than a block away. Inside, the sound of soft jazz music melds with the scent of smoked pork, beef brisket, chicken and sausage. It's soothing enough to make an afternoon of it.

But today, there's no time to dally because Norris Tolson, CEO of Carolinas Gateways Partnership, is eager to discuss business prospects in Rocky Mount, a city of about 56,000 split between Nash and Edgecombe counties. Expansion is clearly needed: There's little activity downtown aside from Prime this weekday afternoon. It seems no one is home, and many storefronts appear empty.

"If you were to come back here five years from now, you will see a totally different Rocky Mount," says Tolson, 77, a former head of the state's commerce, transportation and revenue departments. "I believe we are on the leading edge of growing again. We have some pretty aggressive plans to revitalize our economy, and that's crucial to keeping people here to live, work and play. The Carolina Connector is going to help with that. The Rocky Mount Mills project is going to help with that. The new community center will help with that."

The CSX Carolina Connector Intermodal Rail Terminal, to be built 6 miles north of downtown and across the road from North Carolina Wesleyan College, sparks much optimism. The $270 million project being built by the N.C. Department of Transportation and the Jacksonville, Fla.-based railroad giant will receive, sort and disperse freight by rail and trucks. The impact is potentially enormous, with an expected 300 permanent jobs and as many as 13,000 at logistics and distribution companies tied to the site, according to project promoters.

"I am absolutely convinced," says Tolson, "that the Carolina Connector will literally change the landscape here and in surrounding counties to the point where 10 years from now we won't be able to recognize the total impact. There's opportunity that we haven't even uncovered yet. I am...