By SHERRY DIGMON
News Publisher
Interest in Main Street Atmore is high as evidenced by the attendance at the public Main Street Alabama resource team meeting Thursday, September 3. More than 70 people – mostly distanced and masked – met in the city hall auditorium to hear possible revitalization plans for Atmore. Those plans were met enthusiastically when renderings were shown of buildings and streets before and after revitalization – in other cities and in Atmore.
Niki Bryan has been hired as the Main Street Atmore director.
The resource team was comprised of Mary Helmer, Main Street Alabama State Coordinator; Courtney Bennett, Main Street Alabama; Jay Schlinsog, District Professionals Network; and Randy Wilson, Community Design Solutions. The team was in Atmore September 1 through 3, meeting with realtors, business owners, economic developers, city officials, pastors, PCI, and numerous other organizations and residents in various areas of knowledge and expertise. A community vision session was held Tuesday, September 1, with the public presentation September 3.
Thursday evening, each team member presented a summary of their meetings and plans for the city based on Main Street Alabama’s Four Point Approach: Helmer – Organization of broad based local support and leadership, membership and fundraising; Wilson – Design of the built environments, signage, streetscape public spaces and other visual aspects; Bennett – Promotion to market district as a center of commercial and social engagement; Schlinsog – Economic Vitality or the process of helping to strengthen and expand the district’s economic base.