Hank Parfitt and his wife opened City Center Gallery on Maxwell Street in 1999. The bookstore and art gallery is now on Hay Street. The Downtown Alliance was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 2000, with Parfitt as president. The alliance has since been a driving force in helping revitalize downtown, both economically and image-wise. Some of the things he's helped "get done" include the annual Glory Days celebration, Dickens Holiday and the annual Lafayette birthday celebration.
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From:FayObserver.com -
Cape Fear Profile: Hank Parfitt is devoted to downtown
Parfitt is no longer president of the Downtown Alliance, but he remains a board member. He's been spending a good amount of time meeting with downtown merchants and residents recently to discuss proposed changes to downtown zoning ordinances that would allow more bars and nightclubs to set up shop, which has some downtown residents in a bit of an uproar.
