ECA is pleased to announce
the cities of Elba and Fort Payne have been designated as Main Street Communities! Elba and
Fort Payne join a long list of ECA member cities including Alexander City, Athens, Decatur, Dothan, Florence and Opelika all of which currently participate in Main Street Alabama. Elba and Fort Payne
will begin work on revitalizing their downtown commercial
cores utilizing Main Street’s organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring.
According to Main Street Alabama, communities use the Main Street Approach for several different reasons. Some have lost their sense of identity through rapid growth while others have experienced devastating economic blows and see their downtown
as an opportunity to attract new residents, grow their economic base
and promote a unique quality of life.
Mary Helmer, State Coordinator of Main Street Alabama, stated, “Main Street Alabama is thrilled to begin work in these newly designated communities. Each selected community understands the importance of their downtown to their city as an economic development tool and to develop a better quality of life for its citizens. The selection team was impressed by the applications and onsite presentations that demonstrated a love of their downtowns, vision for what they could become, and the drive to make it happen. We will start work in these communities immediately and capitalize on
the support and enthusiasm the leaders have developed during the application and interview process.”
Communities were selected through a competitive process and demonstrated both the need and the ability to successfully implement the Main Street philosophy. Main Street will work with these cities as they focus on the revitalization
of their downtowns. These
communities will receive onsite technical assistance from Main Street Alabama to develop a comprehensive strategy based
on four points: organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring.
Main Street Alabama will continue to bring on new communities all across the state annually. New city application workshops are held each January with applications due in early
May. Communities may become involved with Main Street Alabama at any time utilizing the Downtown Network program to support those interested in the revitalization process.
Main Street Alabama’s focus
is on bringing jobs, dollars
and people back to Alabama’s historic communities. Economic development is at the heart of our efforts to revitalize downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.
Learn more about Main Street Alabama this summer as Mary Helmer will be one of ECA’s guest speakers at the 2015 Annual Meeting at the Hilton Sandestin in July.
