Birmingham’s 4th Avenue Business District joining Main Street Alabama revitalization program

Birmingham’s Historic Fourth Avenue Business District, managed by Urban Impact, has been chosen by Main Street Alabama to participate in its nationally recognized commercial district revitalization program.

The cities of Calera, Headland and Enterprise have also been selected to join the Main Street Alabama program this year.

Main Street Alabama will immediately begin providing each town and the 4th Avenue Business District with intensive board development, goal setting, work planning, market study with implementable economic development strategies, targeted technical assistance, and quarterly training related to downtown development, said Mary Helmer, state coordinator for the program, in a City of Birmingham news release.

“When a community is ready for Main Street, the time tested Four Point Approach works,” Helmer said. “It brings jobs, dollars and people back to neighborhood commercial districts.”

Helmer stated that the Main Street panel was impressed by the presentation  of Urban Impact, the local Birmingham non-profit that will be managing the 4th Avenue Main Street Alabama revitalization program.

Numerous cities across the state have participated in the Main Street Alabama program including:

Alexander City, Anniston, Athens, Birmingham, Columbiana, Decatur, Dothan, Elba, Eufaula, Florence, Foley, Fort Payne, Gadsden, Heflin, Marion, Monroeville, Montevallo, Jasper, Opelika, Oxford, Scottsboro, South Huntsville, and Wetumpka.

Over the years, Main Street Alabama’s designated communities have reported 379 net new businesses, 2,364 net new jobs, $303,975,745 in private investment, $83,284,171 in public improvements, and 78,992 volunteer hours in their districts collectively since June of 2014.

Ready to Grow

Anchored by the Carver Theatre and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute the business district received a boost in January 2017 when President Barrack Obama named places in the district as the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.

Here is a recent  WIAT CBS 42 news segment about the 4th Avenue Business District.

Visit Urban Impact’s website – HERE – for information about their plans for this important business district in downtown Birmingham.