WSFA 12 News Hometown Tour series kicks off in Montgomery

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - WSFA 12 news is kicking off its Hometown Tour series! We’re hitting the road this spring to showcase the beautiful communities that make up the River Region.

You can join us each Friday through May 17 during our live newscasts between 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. We will be highlighting people and businesses that make each town a great place to live.

Click here for more information on the places we are highlighting.

This Friday we started with a tour of Montgomery during Today in Alabama.

The tour will start on Dexter Avenue, one of the most historic streets in the country, making incredible strides to move into the future. From the fountain to the capital, it has revamped store fronts, hundreds of people living there, and new developments are still in the works. It’s been a top priority for the downtown Montgomery to have more mixed-use facilities.

Leaders say downtown is happy and thriving when people are living, working, and playing there. The city has been working to increase the number of residential units downtown over the last several years. That number is now close to 1400.

“There’s still a lot more that can be done. There are still boarded up buildings, some of which we have sold and the developer under time expectations to renovate,” explained Lois Cortell in the City’s Development Department. “There are significant areas downtown where there could still be substantially new, larger residential projects, and i’m hopeful that developers see those and start adding them.”

Downtown is also becoming a Smart City Living Laboratory, installing LED lights, smart parking, expanded WiFi, and cameras. City leaders believe improving infrastructure and technology will help them attract high paying jobs and bring in a new generation of residents.

Speaking of a new generation, there is a lot of work being done to raise up future generations. That’s My Dog Junior is a restaurant that recently opened, and is completely managed and operated by Montgomery teenagers. It’s the brainchild of Charles Lee, who also founded That's My Dog and That's My Child, and has made it his mission to improve the lives of young people in this city.

And then there’s the gem of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. It just opened its new sculpture garden about six months ago. The more than two-acre park is a space for events, exhibitions, and entertainment. MMFA is constantly working to update what it has to offer. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday. Admission and parking are free.

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