Enterprise welcomes Main Street Alabama to help revitalize downtown

Enterprise already has a recognizable downtown full of local business, but thanks to a recent distinction, it may be seeing more growth.

Main Street Alabama selected the city for its program, geared toward downtown revitalization.

"Being a teenager in the late 80's, it was all about Wiregrass Commons opening up and the new shopping malls opening up,” said Main Street Alabama Field Service Specialist Trisha Black. “We really didn't go to the downtowns."

Trisha Black spent part of her childhood living in Enterprise and grew up in the Wiregrass.

Now she works with Main Street Alabama, a program designed to help with the organization, promotion, design and economic vitality of downtowns across the state.

Enterprise was selected for the program this year, which means Trisha will spend quite a bit of time back in her hometown to help revitalize it.

"The downtowns were here when our cities were incorporated and it's thrilling to see those city centers re-energized and people coming back to those cores," said Black.

Trisha and her partners met with city leaders to discuss the first steps main street will be taking with Enterprise, then held a kick-off party for the community at the farmers market.

Main Street’s first task will be to reach out and see what people would like to see happen with downtown.

Mayor William E. Cooper already has a few ideas.

"I would like to see them work on bringing more food products to downtown and to make sure that all the stores are filled and that we don't have any empty buildings, and that we can kind of keep the sidewalks and streets clean,” said Cooper.

The Main Street director said they will return to the city in August to start polling people on the changes they'd like to see first, then will have a public presentation shortly after that.