By Joseph M. Morgan

joseph@southerntorch.com

DEKALB COUNTY, Ala. — The cities of Fort Payne and Rainsville were recently recognized by two of the premier community development programs in Alabama. In May, Rainsville Mayor Nick Jones announced that the city had been chosen to take part in the Alabama Community of Excellence (ACE) program. Then in June, Fort Payne Mayor Larry Chesser announced that Fort Payne had been chosen to take part in a similar program called Main Street Alabama. Both are highly regarded programs with proven track records of success in Alabama.

ACE is a non-profit that partners with communities across the state, providing leadership and community development programs, strategic planning services, commercial and business development, education enhancement, tourism,  economic development and other support to help Alabama cities and towns improve and develop their communities, strengthen local economies and create long-term economic success.

Main Street Alabama works to preserve the historic integrity and improve the downtown economies of selected communities. The organization aims to attract new businesses, create new jobs and attract dollars and people back to the downtown or “Main Street” areas of historic communities.

The primary difference between the two is the scope of focus in terms of community and economic development. ACE takes a broader approach at community development than the Main Street program, focusing on the community as a whole instead of primarily on the downtown area of partner communities.

Because Fort Payne is one of the oldest cities in DeKalb, has served as the county seat for more than 100 years and was developed during an industrial and economic boom, the historic architectural design and sheer size of the downtown area make it an ideal fit for Main Street Alabama who places strong emphasis on preserving and restoring historical downtowns.

The City of Rainsville, incorporated in 1956, was laid out at a time when there was far less emphasis placed on building a dominant main street and downtown infrastructure. Because it is a smaller, more modern city with industry and commerce spread throughout the community and surrounding rural landscape, the ACE Program is proving to likewise be an excellent fit for Rainsville.

Both cities have undergone the initial assessment phases of their respective community development programs and will be working towards long-term plans in the weeks to come.