industrial town now,” says Mayor Sarah Hill, underscoring the shift. Recent years have brought transformative projects, a streetscape overhaul has revitalized downtown, a state-of-the-art high school has risen with community-backed funding, and the Tallassee Industrial Development Board is courting six major investments. Meanwhile, the Tallapoosa River and Lake Martin anchor a growing ecotourism appeal, from championship fishing teams to kayaking trails. With a rare population uptick and leaders focused on “small, but dedicated growth,” as Hill describes it, Tallassee is crafting a future that honors its past while embracing opportunity. THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY: DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION Tallassee’s downtown revitalization represents a strategic investment in the city’s economic future.The transformation began with essential infrastructure work,“as we were walking into that project, we saw an opportunity to realign a lot of our utilities that were in the downtown area, we focused on the downtown utility relocation first, then we followed that up with the streetscape,” Hill explains.This TAPS grant-funded project addressed aging infrastructure while creating a more attractive business district. The demolition of the historic Hotel Tallassee, though significant to longtime residents, created valuable community space. “Although we were sad to lose the Hotel Tallassee, I think being able to congregate in that lot now is actually very helpful,” says Hill. The new green space has already hosted successful events. “We had a big Easter egg hunt out there a couple of weeks ago with 10,000 eggs, it attracted quite a few people,” adds Dr. Steven Burak, Chairman of the Tallassee Redevelopment Authority. The improvements are driving tangible economic results.“Since the downtown streetscape project was completed, there has been a surge of interest from business owners,” notes Hill.“I think that if you build it, they will come. We’ve settled all of the old utilities that were not quite up to par, and we’ve been able to refocus people to that area.The small businesses opening down there have realized that Tallassee is open for business,” she adds. 167 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 06 TALLASSEE, AL
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