50 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 51 DOWNTOWN Downtown Adel: The Start of Something For the small community of Adel, located off I-75 between Tifton and Valdosta, the time for change has arrived. “When I was growing up here, everyone came to downtown on Saturday to shop and see a movie,” recalls Adel Mayor L.L. “Buddy” Duke III. “All the stores were thriving.” Located in Cook County, Adel has celebrated some recent economic victories including the Linde Group’s $40 million atmospheric gas plant, and an approximately $47 million new Cook Medical Center. The city is now turning its attention to downtown development. “With a high percentage of our buildings sitting empty, we needed to do something or the downtown is eventually going to dry up,” says Duke, who became mayor of Adel in 2016. “We are proud of our educational system and industry growth, but downtown is an asset that needs to be reinvigorated.” Adel City Manager John Flythe says the revitalization efforts started with a small group of downtown merchants. “We had an active group that came to the city with some suggestions and requests for assistance.” With city and community leaders in agreement that a resurgence of downtown was essential for survival, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) was restructured and charged with creating a strategic plan to foster economic growth. The plan outlined the goal for downtown Adel to become a “dynamic and inviting destination that meshes the historical with the contemporary, both architecturally and aesthetically. Downtown Adel will become a place to live, as well as welcome locals and visitors alike to work, shop, dine, worship, and play in a clean, landscaped charming, and tech-friendly environment.” Adel Mayor L.L. “Buddy” Duke III, City Manager John Flythe, and DDA Director Brandie Dame, are working with city and community leaders and merchants to bring growth back to Downtown Adel. Once a hub for shopping, dining, and entertainment, small downtowns across America are struggling to find a new normal. While the Main Street revitalization movement has ignited hundreds of small towns, many are still in need of an awakening.