april_2018

152 153 PREFERRED VENDORS n Exchange Bank www.exba.com www.oreillyauto.com We are a dominant supplier of auto parts by offering our retail customers, professional installers, and jobbers the best combination of price and quality provided with the highest possible service level. THE PROFESSIONAL PARTS PEOPLE year, the city took an old auto parts warehouse and converted it into a farmers market, which has now “morphed into something far beyond that,” he states. “While we still hold the farmers market a couple of days a week, it’s now rented, frequently, for parties and special events. So, that investment has caused others along that same route to reinvest in their properties, as well.” Fi- nally most of downtown Gadsden has now been designated as an official Entertainment District, allowing for the consumption of alcoholic bev- erages between 4PM and 10PM under certain conditions. Wright adds that another city initiative calls for the completion of a 13-mile trail system that will join and extend the Black Creek Trail that runs from the city-owned Noccalula Falls Park, along the Black Creek Gorge. “The river is a big driver for us,” he explains. “We have bass tourna- ments at the Coosa Landing Marina every week- GADSDEN, ALABAMA end, so we’re trying to connect to the ecotourism and outdoor sports community.” Once a thriving industrial city, today’s Gadsden, Alabama is working hard to reinvent itself. And its city leaders are optimistic– especially in their plans and programs to revitalize the riverfront. “We have a river running right through the heart of our city and so, we have opportunities that other folks would kill to have,” Ellison avers. “We own quite a bit of property either immediately on the river or overlooking the river. So, we are in the unique position to own a great percentage of the developable riverfront property.” Going forward, it looks as if the “Queen City of the Coosa” is primed to retain its title. n O’Reilly Auto Parts www.oreillyauto.com