VALDOSTA – To Valdosta Main Street and city leaders, the motto Love Downtown means keeping it beautiful.

City council passed a resolution earlier this month to accept a $100,000 investment in the The Urban Garden, downtown’s open-air plant nursery, through the Georgia Cities Foundation Revolving Loan Fund.

The funding would be awarded to the city, which then would enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Central Valdosta Development Authority. The ultimate sub-recipient of the GCFRL fund will be Stacy Griffin, owner of The Urban Garden.

According to Brandie Dame, Main Street director, the loan is an investment and improvement for downtown scenery, which includes the purchase and upgrading of existing properties, and facilitation of new improved business strategies for previously existing enterprises.

City officials said project plans include a bolster façade as seen from the perspective of downtown shoppers, business people and potential investors as well as support downtown horticultural adornments and serve as an incentive for investment by surrounding businesses.

“Stacy Griffin is renting the property from Ron Borders and is wanting to purchase the property. He is a successful business owner in Downtown Valdosta. He maintains our hanging baskets downtown as well as our fountain service. and this is just a great opportunity for him to own the property and maintain the beautiful downtown area. The city will not have to pay anything. This is just for our citizens. I’ve spoken with Chris Higdon from the Georgia Cities Foundation and he said that he would have no problem getting this loan that was $100,000 total. That’s how much the property is going to cost; he (Griffin) will get $60,000 from Georgia Cities,” she said.

City Council unanimously passed the resolution.