ADEL – Adel Main Street has been invited to become a Classic Main Street community by Georgia Main Street. 

The Georgia Main Street Program began in 1980 as one of the original pilot state coordinating programs of the National Main Street Initiative launched by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Main Street representatives said in a statement. 

The program launched with five local communities and has grown to serve 100-plus communities statewide. 

“Georgia Main Streets represent some of the strongest central business districts in the state and in the Southeast,” representatives said. “Since it started, the designated community programs have been instrumental in leading the state in historic preservation, small business development, expansion of the state’s employment base, leveraging private investment, increasing tourism and providing a positive road map for public-private partnerships.” 

Housed in the Office of Downtown Development at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Main Street is a signature program for community development and revitalization in Georgia’s historic downtowns.

Brandie Dame, Adel Main Street manager, has completed 75 hours of Main Street training to include Leadership Cook, Georgia Academy of Economic Development, Downtown Development Authority training, attended the Georgia Downtown Association Conference, Strategic Planning, Retail and Downtown Development, Georgia Initiative for Community Housing conference in Tifton, John C. Maxwell, The 5 Levels of Leadership and Main Street 101. 

For Downtown Adel to become Classic Main Street, the Main Street manager had to turn in monthly reports for 12 consecutive months and an annual assessment by Jan. 15 to Georgia Main Street, representatives said.

Adel Main Street selected 13 Main Street Board Members in January 2020.

These include Pat Bush, chairman of the board, Kim Cone, vice chair, Lisa Collins, Matt Griffin, Maria Hardman, Sharon Harnage, Lea Hazel, Nyisha Key, Randy Lane, Steve Schramm and Chuck Westbrook. Ex-officios are Jerry Connell and Heather Green. 

“The Main Street Approach begins with creating a vision for success in downtown that is rooted in a solid understanding of the market realities of the district and is informed by broad community engagement,” representatives said. “Main Street cities use a guideline that is called the Four Points. The Four Points are economic vitality, design, promotion and organization. Each Main Street board member has been placed in one of the four categories that their talents and character fit best.”

In 2020, Adel Main Street hosted a work planning session for the board members to set goals for the next couple of years for Downtown Adel. 

A community visioning session was also held in September 2020 at the Cook High School Theater for the community to hear what the work plan includes. A Main Street strategic plan is developed through the community visioning session and the board planning session along with an annual work plan. The three- to five-year work plan will be used as a guide for the manager, the board and volunteers through a series of projects and tasks that will ultimately lead to the success and the revitalization of Downtown Adel, representatives said. 

One of the projects that the board members decided was to partner with the GICH team and have a community cleanup day in Downtown Adel. Christmas decorations were also added to Downtown Adel.

Adel Main Street will present to Georgia Main Street in March to become Classic Main Street. 

“It is such an honor to be invited to become a Classic Main Street community,” Dame said. “This is not a one-person job and I appreciate all of the team work from the City of Adel, the Adel Main Street board, the Downtown Development Authority, Cook County, Adel-Cook County Tourism, Downtown Business owners and volunteers to make this happen. Be sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram page at Downtown Adel, Ga and the city website, http://www.cityofadel.us for all of events, including Food Truck Friday.”