News
In the News: Downtown Russellville seeing renovations
Posted on April 2, 2017
Originally published in the Times Daily.
City Councilman William Nale remembers when the streets were filled with shoppers, and all the stores downtown were open for business.
There was a time when that kind of activity waned. But looking south down Jackson Avenue, Nale notes with pride that more and more people are again shopping downtown.
“We’ve gotten some grants that have helped do some streetscaping, but we also have some local people who have bought buildings and are putting businesses in them,” Nale said.
“It’s bringing people back downtown,” he said. “We’ve got things happening downtown, and I think the best is yet to come.”
The City Council is working with the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments (NACOLG) to get the downtown area declared a historic district. The agency has also approved a resolution to apply for the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Grant.
Mayor David Grissom said if the downtown area is declared a historic district, developers and business owners can apply for federal and state tax credits and incentives.
“We have property owners and developers working on turning some of the properties into loft apartments,” said Matt Cooper, a member of the Downtown Redevelopment Committee.
For example, a building on Jackson Avenue, between Franklin Street and Lawrence Street, is being renovated for a business downstairs and two loft apartments upstairs. The upstairs apartment has a balcony overlooking the sidewalk and Jackson Avenue.
“It’s the first balcony in downtown. I hope there will be many more to come,” Grissom said.
Cooper said he’s heard the developer has a client for the downstairs area, and a list of potential tenants for the apartments.
Heather Willis and her husband, Nick, own a building next door to the one being renovated. There are three small business in the downstairs retail space.
Willis has developed plans to turn the 8,000 square-feet of space upstairs into five loft apartments.
“The plan is to put two (apartments) in the front of the building overlooking Jackson Avenue, and three in the back,” she said. “The ones in front will also have balconies.”
She said there is an entrance on Jackson Avenue for the upstairs apartments.
“I believe there is so much potential downtown,” she said, adding she’s hopeful other property owners and developers will get involved.
“If we get rooms for people to live in, we need something for them to do, places for them to go eat, get a cup of coffee,” she said. “It’s going to take others seeing the potential and getting involved.”
Cooper said it’s exciting to see things happening downtown Russellville. He said the redevelopment committee has been working closely with NACOLG and Alabama Main Street to develop ordinances to help with the developments and changes occurring downtown.
“Getting downtown back is not something that is going to happen overnight,” Cooper said. “People need to remember that. We all understand that this is a multiyear project, but we are already seeing the fruits of our labor. It’s exciting to see what’s happening downtown.”