Historic downtown Foley now shimmers to light in the evenings as strings of Edison-style LED lights illuminate the facades of its buildings.
The new lighting project, a collaboration between the …
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Historic downtown Foley now shimmers to light in the evenings as strings of Edison-style LED lights illuminate the facades of its buildings.
The new lighting project, a collaboration between the city, local businesses and Foley Main Street, was unveiled during Foley Main Street's monthly Third Thursday event on Jan. 16 on West Laurel Avenue. Residents and visitors gathered to witness the lights come on, marking another milestone in the revitalization of downtown Foley.
"It's just another way that we're continuing to improve our downtown," Mayor Ralph Hellmich said. "The city, our businesses and Foley Main Street have done a great job improving this vital area of Foley and this is another way to help show that off to people."
The project has been months in the making. Since fall, business owners have installed strings of lights provided by the city. The lights, equipped with automatic sensors, turn on at sunset and off at sunrise, ensuring a warm and welcoming glow every evening.
"We are grateful for the city's initiative in bringing this lighting project to life, a long-time goal of both Main Street and the city," said Darrelyn Dunmore, executive director of Foley Main Street. "Along with the efforts of Frances Holk-Jones and the Historic Commission, the city was able to bring this vision to life. Now Downtown Foley reflects the warmth and welcoming spirit we've always known it to have."
The soft lighting of the antique-style Edison bulbs is designed to highlight the area's architectural features without altering the integrity of the buildings.
"We feel like this will bring some vibrancy to the downtown," said Wayne Dyess, Foley's executive director of infrastructure and development. "At the same time, you'll never see them during the day. They're not permanently affixed to the buildings. You'll still see the architecture of the buildings, but at night, that architecture will still stand out."
The project draws inspiration from historic Southern cities like Charleston, South Carolina, and St. Augustine, Florida, where similar lighting designs have proven effective in fostering economic development.
"Historic downtown is not meant to just be museums to look at, but to enjoy, and to inspire additional economic activity downtown," Dyess said. "That's our goal with this. One of our goals is to create an environment downtown where there's economic activity. We've got the Colt Grill coming in, some other things like that."
Coinciding with the lighting debut, Colt Grill BBQ & Spirits opened its doors Jan. 16 in the restored 1925 Foley Bakery building, which had been closed since 2007. Colt Grill, which operates four restaurants in Arizona, adds a new dining destination to downtown Foley's growing list of attractions.