FOLEY – Foley’s Main Street program to develop a strategic plan for the future of the city’s downtown area received a vote of support by the City Council.
The council voted unanimously Monday, Feb. 6, to approve up to $20,000 to pay some of the costs to develop a downtown Foley strategy plan. Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the program is a partnership between the city and local residents working to improve the downtown area.
“We’re basically pulling the Main Street program together on strategic operations plan,” Hellmich said. “They’re going to have some grant money and basically have some sponsorship money and then, the city would be the third part. So, it’s a way of leveraging our money to basically support the Main Street board to move that Main Street area forward with a good strategic plan, pulling together all the things that we’ve done in the past and giving it a direction.”
Darrelyn Dunmore, executive director of Foley Main Street, said the project is expected to cost $37,200. The group Alabama Main Street gave the program $10,000 for the project. She said supporters are working to raise the rest of the money needed to develop the plan.
“We’re very excited and I know you will be about what comes out of this plan,” she told council members. “It’s going to help us professionally move forward with the vision for downtown Foley.”
Main Street partners meet twice a year to discuss plans for the downtown area, she said.
“We have business owners. We have financial investors. We have the building owners. All different partners meet to find out what’s going on and see where we’re moving forward,” Dunmore said. “The question always is what’s the vision. What are the next steps? And is there any ideas or plans of what’s going on?”
She said the plan is intended to identify growth areas downtown and real estate improvement projects. The project will also update the city’s 2019 market study and make recommendations on property market, she said.
The study will conclude with a week of vision planning. Community members, downtown merchants and property owners and other interested groups will come together and discuss ideas on the future of the area, she said.
Hellmich said the program is already improving downtown Foley.
“We’re already seeing the progress that you’re making and I’m really looking forward to this and a lot of the projects that we have planned,” Hellmich said. “It’s not just projects, but the interactions that you do with the businesses downtown. That’s what we had hoped to accomplish with the Main Street program, to have somebody on the ground every day supporting our downtown and we want to thank y’all and thank the council for supporting this project.”
