The Alabama Black Belt Heritage Area and Main Street Alabama hosted a half-day workshop recently in promotion of downtown development efforts. Some 100 attendees from across Alabama discussed the importance of placing emphasis on a city’s downtown. According to workshop leaders, downtown development benefits local citizens and visitors alike.
“Your downtown is a reflection of what other people think of you,” said guest speaker Bob Wilson, executive director of Mississippi Main Street Association. Wilson discussed the opportunities for Main Street programs to bring in people to the core of downtown by offering shopping and entertainment experiences in a comfortable and safe surrounding.
Main Street programs across the nation serve as successful models for economic development in small communities. Workshops such as this one allow communities of all sizes to network and share what has and has not worked for them.
“We had overwhelming interest and reached our capacity of attendees. It was a fantastic partnership between the Alabama Black Belt Heritage Area/Alabama Historical Commission/Selma Main Street program,” said Wimberly R. Comer, interim director of the ABBHA.
“We look forward to partnering together on future events similar to these in the future to share successful economic development tools with small communities across Alabama,” Comer said.
The counties of Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clark, Conecuh, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, Washington and Wilcox comprise the initiative that holds as its mission empowering the people and communities of Alabama’s Black Belt region to build a positive future by collaborating to preserve, enhance, and promote what makes the area unique.
The Center for the Study of the Black Belt at the University of West Alabama serves as the management entity for the ABBHA.