Main Street kicks off; now the real work begins

All the long hours and hard work fulfilled their purpose Tuesday when Main Street Demopolis officially kicked off its long-range program to revitalize the historic downtown area of the city.

The large crowd gathered in the Marengo County History and Archives Museum to hear the broad outline of what being named a Main Street Designated City means for Demopolis before walking to the Public Square to visit stores, enjoy music and sample food prepared by local restaurants. And they were challenged to make sure the program is a success by getting involved.

“I am so excited for these young people that have put this Main Street Committee together,” Mayor Woody Collins told the audience. “This group has realized that this is an opportunity to forever change the face of this community.”

“Main Street works 100 percent of the time if the community works it,” said Mary Helmer Wirth, executive director and state coordinator of Main Street Alabama, a post she has held for nine years.

“We are not miracle workers,” she said of her staff. “We are people who want to be by your side to make your community better.”

Wirth grew up in a small Kansas town where she was the Main Street director for her community before moving to Alabama.

“My mother always says, “Leave it better than you found it,” she said. “I think we really do get the opportunity to change the world just a little bit.”

When Wirth came to Alabama in 2013, Demopolis was one of the first eight or 10 cities she visited. “Demopolis, I finally got you in my family.”

Wirth continued, “It’s pretty easy to fall in love with this town.”

She encouraged all those in attendance to be a part of the project. “There is a place on Main Street for everyone that’s here tonight and everyone who is not here.”

The Main Street program follows a proven Four-Point approach that has been used across the country for more than 40 years. Wirth said each of the four elements needs people to serve on steering committees: Organization, Economic Vitality, Design and Promotion.

The program stresses a public-private partnership and community engagement to support existing businesses, create jobs, spark new investment and attract visitors to the downtown.

Existing structures in the city also are considered. “It’s about your buildings, yes, my gosh what a wonderful stock of buildings you have here,” she said. “It’s understanding that this collection of buildings can’t exist anywhere but here, and that’s what makes the town unique.”

She added, “Downtown Demopolis is the heart of this community.”

In comments after the kickoff, Wirth said Demopolis was chosen because “We look for a community that wants to be involved.” Main Street success can’t rely on one person coming in to do the work. “It has to come from the community itself.”

The hardest part in making a success of Main Street is the public-private partnership. “You’ve got to have a good match of public and private to really make this go.”

She outlined a blueprint of the steps Main Street Alabama will take with local organizers over the next several months. It began earlier in the day when the steering committee and others interested in the project received their first intensive training. The Main Street Resource Team will be in Demopolis Sept. 27-29 to develop both short- and long-range plans for each of the Four Points.

Main Street, said local executive director Rhae Darsey , “gives us a very common-sense way to rebuild our historic downtown.”

An attorney by profession, Darsey and her family moved back to Demopolis two years ago. “This has been something I wanted to do since the minute I touched the ground here.”

To enthusiastic applause from the audience, Darsey announced the Main Street Demopolis program raised $83,000 in two months to fund the project, but she stressed that what Main Street really needs are people willing to get involved.

“I want every single person here to have input.”

She invited the audience to visit the future headquarters of Main Street Demopolis in the second story of McHAM. “It needs work,” she said. “We need some help.”