Downtown revitalization

Work being done by the City of Holly Springs and Marshall County on the square is expected to reap great rewards going forward.

Christy Owens, Main Street Chamber executive director and alderman of Ward 3, said she is especially excited about the green space project. And the restoration and rehabilitation of the Marshall County courthouse will only add to the beauty of the downtown area, Owens said. And business growth is taking a new start with the Rodeo Cafe opening on the square and The Lodge to open soon downtown.

"We've seen a lot of renovation over the years," Owens said. "The rehabilitation of these historic buildings is a true sign of progress and growth.

"There's pain in progress," she said, alluding to the torn up streets and heavy equipment in the downtown area while landscaping beds are constructed and the courthouse is being worked on.

"I've seen a lot of downtowns that don't have this lovely downtown," Owens continued. "I've been to a lot of downtowns through the Main Street training program. We already had a good-looking square and this is just going to enhance it. I think the end result is just going to be fabulous and everyone is going to be very pleased.

"It's going to be beautiful." Some things to crow about already are the new decorative crosswalks in the downtown area extending all the way to the Spring Hollow Park area and to Rust College.

There is a new coffeehouse going into the former Marshall County superintendent of education offices. Marc Hefner and Marie Bongiovanni are going to reopen their business there under a new name with a coffee room, music room and gift shop. The new business will be Coffee In Holly and the building will be The Lodge in memory of the use of the building once as the Elk Lodge.

"I'm very excited about the coffee shop opening back up," Owens said.

There is an increasing diversity of businesses in the downtown area, including antique shops, cafes and restaurants, upper level housing, and access to insurance offices and pharmacies and clothes all in walking distance.

It's for people who want to be in the middle of everything, Owens said.

Spring Hollow Park is in walking distance, and several churches are in walking distance. The downtown will be conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

"Once we installed the new lighting (purchased from Booker Hardware) on the awnings, it really made the city look beautiful," Owens said.

Shopping local in the city will keep local businesses alive and thriving, she said.

The downtown awnings got a fresh coat of paint. Old historic buildings are being restored and repurposed. Those include the Hugh Craft Survey office beside city hall, The Lodge (new coffeehouse), and the building renovated for Rodeo Cafe (once an auto parts place).

Public works director Will Denton said a Request for Proposal (RFP) has been advertised for architectural services for the old Water and Light Building. There is money available to do the work.

The landscaping project for greenspace downtown should take shape soon after the construction of the islands are complete.

"We're looking at mid-May to have plants installed, depending on the weather," Denton said.

He thinks the next project the city will push on the downtown revitalization will be the amphitheater that will be built near Blues Alley (North Center Street). The city will be looking for funding partners or a grant opportunity for that project, he said.

The Safe Routes To School project built on S. Maury Street is about 98 percent complete. The work to be done includes faux bricks created in asphalt in the crosswalks. All those colorful faux bricks already laid at intersections throughout downtown and at Rust College and Spring Hollow Park will be refreshed.