52 S G M A G A Z I N E | S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 9 B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 53 DOWNTOWN While looking to boost its revitalization efforts further, the City of Adel is applying to become a Rural Tax Zone. Each year the Georgia Department of Community Affairs selects up to ten communities (population under 15,000) to receive tax credits aimed at job creation and increased private investments in designated locations. The tax credits would assist Adel in recruiting new businesses, as well as improving the conditions of some of downtown’s historic buildings. Dame says progress is taking and efforts are moving in the right direction. “We have Downtown Days to bring locals and visitors to Adel for shopping,” she says. “These events have been very successful, and our merchants have seen a rise in their sales receipts on those days, plus they have gained new customers.” A significant tourist draw for Adel is the South Georgia Motor Sports Park, which hosts approximately 30 events a year and attracts thousands of visitors from across the country. “We recently annexed the sports park into the city to provide them with public services,” Flythe says. “They are a major economic draw not only for Adel but surrounding communities. Visitors come here for the races but also spend money at our grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants.” Dame says with Adel’s proximity to I-75, the city has the potential to draw travelers to downtown. “We are trying to develop downtown as a place where locals will shop and eat, and also a destination for people passing through.” To carry out the plan’s goals and vision, the DDA and City of Adel hired Brandie Dame, who started on June 1, 2018, as the city’s first full-time downtown development director. Within her first year on the job, Dame says a solid foundation has been established with the downtown merchants and city leadership. “Revitalizing the downtown is a monumental undertaking that can only be accomplished by many groups working together to bring success,” says Dame. “The downtown belongs to all the people who live here; therefore, it’s important that we operate as a team.” Last month, the Downtown Adel was designated as a Downtown Affiliate Network by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The affiliate network status demonstrates Adel’s strong commitment toward downtown development and desire for revitalization. The next level is Classic Main Street, which takes approximately two years to achieve. Requirements include 30 hours of training by the main street director, DDA board and main street director completion of the Mainstreet 101 course, hosting an annual community visual session and work plan meeting, and submitting monthly economic activity reports. In addition to obtaining Classic Main Street status, the DDA is working on a corridor redevelopment study that will cover I-75 to Highway 37 to the downtown area. The study is focused on several issues including signage, sidewalk and infrastructure improvements, green space, parking, adaptive reuse of properties, and elimination of blight. “There are a lot of positives for downtown Adel, starting with the relative low- cost inventory of available buildings,” says Dame. “We want to continue adding a good mix of retail and food establishments, as well as other businesses that will draw families to downtown.” Adel City Manager John Flythe and Mayor L.L. “Buddy” Duke III are mapping out Downtown Adel’s growth. My main goal as main street director this year, and in the years to come, is found in the following quote by Mayor Bill Bell, in Durham, North Carolina, ‘A downtown defines a city as a living room defines a home.’ My goal is to have a well-defined and relaxing ‘living room’ that everyone will want to live, play, work, and enjoy. - BRANDIE DAME