Civil Municipal - April 2024

“We’ve got a farmers market area that lends itself well to outdoor events and this Market Street will be able to tie into that as well. So, we think we’ve got some exciting days ahead,” he says. Marianna boasts two solar farms, which provide power to the area near the WasteWater Treatment Facility and the Airport. The City of Marianna also provides multiple Natural Gas fueling stations and uses natural gas fueled cars. Honoring its roots, Marianna is committed to preserving its historic landmarks, like St. Luke Baptist Church, an African American church that was damaged during Hurricane Michael. “It sits on one of the highest hills in Marianna, and it was closed and in a little bit dilapidated condition.We’ve gotten some African American historical grant funding to revitalize that. It’s got a gas-lit tower on it and we are going to make that an observation platform and do some very nice lighting to it. It’ll kind of become the beacon of Marianna.” The revitalization efforts extend to the former Dozier School for Boys, once the largest juvenile detention facility in the nation, which closed in 2011 after 111 years of operation. Through a city and county collaboration, the 1278-acre property will be transformed into a cutting-edge autism transition program, a Civic Center, and a museum. HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE Marianna is taking a proactive approach to stormwater challenges, investing in projects like the Kelson Street pond to manage the significant rainfall that the area experiences. “That will be a pond that will significantly impact and help stormwater pooling that takes place over in one area of town,” says Long. “We have a second stormwater project that’s in play that will become a mega-regional stormwater pond, about 120 or so acres, just south of Marianna.” “He notes, the city of Marianna, in collaboration with the neighboring city of Alford, is also working on a sewer line extension project .” 140 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 04