Business View Civil Municipal - July 2023

130 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 hop and skip from the city center, seven miles on the northside of Eufaula on Highway 431. “Adjacent to the National Park is the National Wildlife Refuge- an 11,000-plus acre protected habitat for endangered and threatened species,” Sparks adds. In an active attempt to cater to its residents, as well as the influx of year-round visitors, Eufaula has put a great deal of thought, time, and energy into ensuring its historical downtown area is always looking its best. It can invest heavily to achieve this goal through partnerships with entities such as Alabama’s Main Street Program. “Our Mainstreet Program is one of the original designated programs in the state,’ Steve Hawkins, Executive Director of the Eufaula Chamber of Commerce, describes. “Through several groups, there are facade grants awarded annually creating a snowball effect for renovations.”