48 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 49 DOWNTOWN couple decided to take advantage of the rural tax credits and purchase the second floor of the Belcher Building to create a boutique hotel. Formerly the Park Hotel, the second floor has been vacant for more than 50 years, while the downstairs currently contains retail space. Scheduled to open fall 2019, the hotel will feature six bedrooms, all with private baths, and a café open to the public. An advocate for downtown revitalization, local contractor Doug Young, owner of PDC Construction, has purchased two historic buildings, and both qualify for the rural tax credits. “For years Amanda (Glover) has been showing me buildings downtown,” says Young, “and I never could find the right fit.” Last year, Young, and his wife, Sherry, purchased what was once known as the Eagle Saloon, constructed in circa 1890. “It was a saloon back in the beginning, then a department store, and furniture store,” says Young. “The downstairs has been unoccupied for about two years, and the top floor has been vacant for at least 50 years.” Located across from the downtown square on Water Street, Young says it will have two apartments upstairs and a day spa on the bottom floor. Young’s second purchase was the Callahan Building. After being damaged by Hurricane Michael, which ripped through North Florida and Southwest Georgia in October, Young plans to repair the damages and make improvements. “The first building was intentional, we were looking for a special project,” says Young. “The Callahan Building had seven apartments upstairs, and five retail spaces downstairs. When the hurricane hit everyone in the building lost their homes and businesses.” Young says the rural tax credits were a deciding factor in purchasing both buildings. “The tax credits are a big benefit, and I would not have been able to purchase the Callahan Building without the tax credits and DCA loans.” With a vibrant mix of shops, restaurants, government offices, and professional services, there is a daily stream of people moving through the Downtown Bainbridge. Annual events like the American Bluegrass & Folk Festival, held in May, are helping to bring visitors to Bainbridge. “Our goal is to make Downtown Bainbridge a destination,” says Glover, who notes that Bainbridge is a Georgia Exceptional Main Street (GEMS) community, “We want to attract more visitors from surrounding communities including Cairo, Camila, Blakley, Thomasville, and even Tallahassee.” In addition to renovations of existing buildings, Glover says the Bainbridge DDA is working to create more public outdoor space. Formerly a dingy passageway between buildings, the recently completed Broad Street Alley is an example of how an unused, blighted area can be transformed into usable public space. The project was a public-private venture that received funding from the Bainbridge DDA, City of Bainbridge, and First National Bank. Glover says the next outdoor project is a former livery stable that will be converted into an open-air venue for public events, concerts, and farmers market. “The rural tax credits have been our saving grace,” says Glover. “All the pieces of the puzzle have started being put together. The local businesses are wanting to be more involved, and we have young entrepreneurs opening businesses. It is all those little incremental shifts that are allowing us to grow.” The tax credits are a big benefit, and I would not have been able to purchase the Callahan Building without the tax credits and DCA loans. - DOUG YOUNG, OWNER OF PDC CONSTRUCTION Doug Young is investing in Downtown Bainbridge with the renovation of two historic buildings.