Main Street Alabama has picked four new cities for its comprehensive downtown revitalization effort.
Columbiana, Heflin, Montevallo and Wetumpka are joining the program's 16 cities after participating in a five-month competitive application process.
Cities are added every year to Main Street Alabama. Over its lifespan, the program's cities have added a net of 239 new businesses, 2,392 net new jobs, $187 million in private investment, $32 million in public improvements and more than 26,000 volunteer hours just in the past two years.
State Coordinator Mary Helmer said Main Street Alabama will immediately begin providing each community with intensive board development, training with work plans and goals, market analysis with economic development strategies, targeted technical assistance, and quarterly training related to downtown development.
"When a community is ready for Main Street, as these four are, our economic development program works," Helmer said. "It brings jobs, dollars and people back to historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts."
The cities already part of Main Street Alabama are Alexander City, Anniston, Athens, Birmingham, Decatur, Dothan, Elba, Eufaula, Florence, Fort Payne, Gadsden, Monroeville, Jasper, Opelika, Oxford and Selma and in using Main Street's comprehensive and incremental approach.
Applications to become a Designated Main Street Community will be available next spring.
For more information, visit the website.
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