Russellville Main Street kickoff celebration takes place Thursday
In celebration of Russellville receiving Main Street designation June 1, a kickoff event will take place in downtown Russellville, on Jackson and Lawrence avenues, this Thursday, June 22, beginning with a ribbon cutting at 5:00 p.m. and a reception at 6:00 p.m.
Jackson Avenue will be closed between Lawrence St. and Franklin St. The event will begin there with several speakers. After the speeches and ribbon cutting, the celebration will move to the newly-renovated 109 North Jackson Ave. building (located near the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce on the main street of downtown) for a reception.
Scheduled speakers include Rep. Jamie Kiel, Franklin County Commissioner Chris Wallace, Russellville City Councilman Gary Cummings, Russellville City Schools superintendent Dr. Heath Grimes and Mary Helmer Wirth, president and state coordinator of Main Street Alabama.
According to Main Street Alabama’s website, mainstreetalabama.org, the group is a nonprofit organization that “stresses public-private partnerships, broad community engagement and strategies that create jobs, spark new investment, attract visitors and spur growth,” as well as “builds on the authentic history, culture and attributes of specific places to bring sustainable change.”
The website states the group’s focus as “bringing jobs, dollars and people back to Alabama’s historic communities,” adding that “economic development is at the heart of this statewide organization’s efforts to revitalize downtowns and neighborhoods across the state.”
Targeted areas stated on the site include placemaking, defined as “activating public spaces”; training, defined as “continuing education” and networking, defined as “making connections.”
The site further says that Main Street programs “are more than having great events and making downtown look better,” adding that the core of the programs is “an economic development tool that enhances the tax base of a community, fosters entrepreneurship, builds community capacity and creates partnerships among key groups in a community.”
“Being designated as a Main Street Alabama city signifies a commitment to revitalizing the local economy,” explained Ann Epperson McDermitt, executive director of the Downtown Russellville Collective, (Russellville Main Street) efforts.
“Main Street Alabama’s programs focus on supporting small businesses, attracting new investments and creating job opportunities, all of which can contribute to the economic growth of Russellville,” she added.
Other nearby communities that have Main Street Alabama designation include Florence, Decatur, Athens, South Huntsville, Birmingham and Birmingham’s Historic 4th Ave. Business District.
The rest of the current Main Street Alabama communities are Alexander City, Anniston, Atmore, Calera, Centreville (approved the same day as Russellville), Columbiana, Demopolis, Elba, Eufala, Foley, Fort Payne, Gadsden, Heflin, Jasper, LaFayette, Leeds, Marion, Monroeville, Montevallo, Opelika, Oxford, Scottsboro, Talladega and Wetumpka.
To read more about Russellville’s designation as a Main Street Alabama community, click HERE.
