By Joseph M. Morgan

joseph@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala.—Fort Payne will make a final decision this week on whom to hire as the director of the city’s Main Street Alabama program. The city announced in June that Fort Payne was one of three Alabama towns chosen in 2015 as a newly designated Main Street Community.

The Main Street organization works with cities throughout the country to preserve the historic integrity and improve the economies of selected communities. The organization helps Main Street cities like Fort Payne create new jobs and attract dollars and people back to the downtown area of historic communities.

Fort Payne’s Main Street Board of Directors has narrowed down the search for a Main Street Director to three candidates from an original field of around 20 applicants. The board will hold a final round of interviews Thursday night and extend an offer after each candidate has made a presentation describing their vision for the Main Street program and gone through a Q&A with the board.

After a hire is made, the new director and board will put together a one-year plan to improve the city’s downtown area. Fort Payne’s new Main Street Director will begin work sometime next month, following the new year.