Supporters gather ’round the fountain to root for Demopolis’ Main Street application

More than 50 people stood in the hot sun at noon Thursday to pose for a picture and tell a panel of judges, “We are ready!”

Demopolis has applied for acceptance into the Main Street Alabama program, an competitive program that chooses only four or five small cities each year to take part. The formal application was sent in earlier this month. On Wednesday, May 25, Rhae Darsey, who is heading up the effort, is scheduled to make the oral argument for why Demopolis should be chosen from among the 50 or so applicants.

As part of the presentation, she will be using visual aids, including the video of the cheering crowd in front of the Public Square fountain. Earlier the Class of 2022 from Demopolis High School also made a video rooting for the city’s selection.

Main Street Alabama is part of a nation-wide, federally sponsored nonprofit organization that follows a 40-year-old model for community revitalization with proven nationwide success. Darsey said the community planners work with existing organizations to stimulate growth in the city. The program stresses public-private partnerships, community engagement and strategies to create jobs, spark investment and attract visitors.

This program, said Darsey, differs from other plans to revitalize downtown, drive economic development and otherwise spur growth to the rural community that have had few results. She said the Main Street model has a proven track record across the country that can be seen in several smaller Alabama cities that have tried it