Adams Row Revitalization

Building A “Live-Learn-Work-Walk” Community through Education and Entrepreneurship

Leader

Tenita Strand

Location

101-109 E. Adams St. Dothan, AL 36303

About the project

The City of Dothan is the 7th most populated city in the State of Alabama. It is a metropolitan area with growing manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare industries, However, there are many areas that have not experience the resilience of economic growth. In fact, decline has occurred. Unfortunately, the Dothan Downtown Historic District has been impacted by the development of major retail complexes, malls, and corporate developments that have left antiquated, historical areas desperate to thrive. “Mom & Pop” small businesses have declined and homes are left to degrade because residents have migrated to suburban planned communities next to major retail areas. As a result, buildings are in a downward spiral of disinvestment and demolition-by-neglect. Too often the cost of restoration, code upgrades, and seismic reinforcement creates a development gap, placing restoration financially out of reach.

The solution to this challenge is layered. The City of Dothan can: 1) Leverage the architectural, artistic, and culture assets with the intrinsic charm to revive interest in living, learning, working, walking, and commerce; 2) Utilize a cross-section of non-profits, for-profits, governmental, and individuals with the agenda to operate businesses in restored, and redeveloped districts. 3) Aggressively promote the incentives that bring investment into the historic area. 4) Provide training to increase opportunities for the incentives to be awarded.Our project will foster a "live-learn-work-walk" community. The goals of Adams Row Revitalization are: 1) To provide an aesthetic, high-quality space that provides comprehensive learning experiences, impacts student achievement, and signifies value in a community where disadvantaged, underserved, and underrepresented students live and learn. 2) To create a "live-learn-work-walk" community that restores the historic architectural assets in the Downtown Dothan Historic District and increase private investment, property values, job creation, commerce, and tourism, and cultural character. 3) To provide a facility that increases property tax revenue, sales revenue, and the number of businesses operating in a certified Hubzone, and Economic Development District. 4) To establish a "bake & take" pizzeria that adds economic value and provides management and entrepreneurial training for out-of-school youth and young adults from ages 16 to 24.

The Steps

Tangible progress to date is indicated by the growth of our project community support. Organizations supporting Adams Row Revitalization include: PeoplesSouth Bank, City of Dothan Historic Preservation Commission; Century 21 James Grant Realty, Dothan; Donofro Architects; Dothan Chamber of Commerce; Raffaele Clemente, Owner & CEO of Dante’s Pizza; Tolleson Construction, LLC; Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission; Alabama Career Center, Dothan; Dothan- Houston County Library; Daleville Public Library Foundation; Troy University Small Business Development Center; Entrepreneurship Council; Alabama Council on the Arts.

We have due diligence until 06-30-18. During this time we seek funding to complete our contract to acquire our target property. Architectural designs have been rendered and the general contractor has delivered an estimated cost to complete Building A and Building B is $1,190,706. The City of Dothan Historic Preservation Committee has approved our facade plans, PeoplesSouth Bank has pre-approved our commercial loan to acquire the property with a contingency that we provide a $50,000 down payment toward acquisition cost.

Once cash is hand, we will complete the acquistion, pay engineering cost, and begin the roof repair to stop further deterioration of the property from July 2018 -September 2018. We will continue to acquire matching funds to begin facade and interior renovations from July 2018 - January 2019; We will conduct a 6-month progress evaluation January 2019. Facade and Interior renovations will continue form January 2019 through March 2019; Equipment installation will occur from March 2019 to June 2019.

Why we‘re doing it

We initiated Adams Row Revitalization CRW to create our central office/ learning facility and simultaneously add economic value in the Dothan Downtown Historic District. This project is a model that allows our organization to increase sustainability by having an internal revenue source. while repurposing an old non-functional building into a structure that benefits the entire community. The project will impact: The Dothan Downtown Historic District seeking to reactivate buildings with new businesses, add housing, and attract heritage tourism; Property owners who currently can’t afford to rehab their storefronts, convert upper floors, pay for seismic upgrades, or bring their buildings up to code; Small businesses seeking an attractive space start or relocate their business; Civic leaders who want to see property values and tax revenues rise to pay for local services; and The State of Alabama seeking economic growth and tax revenues from new jobs.

Adams Row will be the first upscale loft-style mixed-use development in the Dothan Downtown Historic District. It can be used as a model and incentive for property owners to convert more spaces that diversify usage and revenue. This project encourages local financial institutions to engage in community development projects. They are able to create new financing and funding products that support non-profits and social entrepreneurs. Adams Row also provides a model to increase joint-ventures and collaborations between non-profit and for-profit entities to economically develop distressed communities and build capital for non-profit organizations.

$0.00

Raised

$51,535.00 still needed of $51,535.00

Ended June 29th, 2018