Aug. 24—The Decatur Downtown Redevelopment Association, an organization that has had a major role in the renaissance of downtown Decatur, will soon have a new leader.

Rick Paler will retire as executive director in January and former hotel marketer Kelly Thomas will take his place.

"It's to put someone else in charge of the overall management of the organization," Paler said. "But I'm still involved in far too many projects."

Mayor Tab Bowling said he has a slideshow of downtown Decatur showing the bleak days before DDRA began, with Paler as executive director, to the current days of thriving businesses, government buildings and schools.

"It's absolutely amazing the impact that DDRA and those that supported his group had," Bowling said. "Certainly, everything is done as a team, but Rick has certainly been an outstanding executive director."

Crystal Brown, the new Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer, said visitors are often "amazed with the creation of a vibrant downtown" that occurred during Paler's tenure.

With the number of boarded up businesses growing daily, the city and the chamber created the Envision Decatur plan and DDRA in 2004 in hopes of saving the downtown.

A Gadsden native, Paler was a commercial real estate developer in the early 2000s in Decatur and Huntsville. He was serving as chamber board chairman when he was asked to become executive director of the newly formed group.

"They really just got me at a pretty good time in my life," Paler said. "My real estate partners and I had just sold a business in Huntsville, and I was looking for a challenge."

Not only was it a good time for Paler, he was the "right person at the right time" for downtown Decatur, said state Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur.

"His real estate background really helped with the development," Orr said. "He was used to working with tenants and rehabbing old buildings."

John Seymour, who retired in June as chamber president and CEO, said Paler "worked hard to get the right people in the right place" in his organization. He also worked to recruit businesses and help them get established.

A November 2007 chamber trip to Greenville, South Carolina, led to what Orr and Paler agree was a key moment in the rebirth of downtown Decatur. Paler said the Greenville leadership suggested just planting trees and improving the landscaping.

"Johnston, Grant, Moulton and Sherman streets were just plain," Orr said.

Orr said Paler was always willing and ready to take advantage of opportunities like federal and state grants.

Orr got some grant funding to plant crepe myrtles. U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt and then-U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions obtained federal funds for the city to help with continued improvements, such as lighted sidewalks and flowers.

"We just wanted the area to look good," Paler said.

Brown, who was the chamber's vice president of retail and residential development at the time, said the trees and landscaping made downtown "look like a place where you would want to be and you could convince people that this is a place they would want to invest in."

What followed transformed downtown. The Railroad Depot was renovated and an amphitheater was built at Founder's Park. Pocket parks were created. The Alabama Center for the Arts, a partnership between Calhoun Community College and Athens State University, was created in 2008 and became an anchor for more progress.

The Cook Museum of Natural Science opened in 2019, giving the downtown another rock to build upon.

Paler said they tracked the number of new businesses since DDRA began to over 100 at one time, "and I haven't updated that number recently."

Bowling said the city has an over 90% occupancy rate in the downtown area.

Paler said he is stepping down at a time when he and city leaders feel the downtown area "has a lot of momentum."

Steve Armistead and Yogi Dougher, partners in Stogie Holdings of Nashville, are building the McGhee Square town homes between Walnut and Vine streets.

They also purchased the former Decatur Engravers and Supply building at 609 Bank St. when it was auctioned by KDC Properties in February. The business, which closed about two years ago, is on the west side of Bank Street, near their town home development.

Renasant Bank recently announced plans to building Renasant Gateway Decatur, a headquarters for its Decatur-Morgan County market, at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Lee Street Northeast.

Paler said an important part of this continued momentum is the planned $8 million Sixth Avenue streetscape between Prospect Drive Southeast and the Hudson Memorial Bridges at the Tennessee River.

"This changes the area and makes it a more appealing environment," Paler said.

Paler said his one disappointment is that Decatur Downtown Commons, a project included in Envision Decatur, has not materialized. However, he still believes this planned development of 50 acres along Dry Branch Creek from West Moulton Street to the river could happen.

"We've had a great deal of interest," Paler said. "It's just going to take the right environment and circumstances."

Paler said one thing he has done right is get a lot of young professionals involved in DDRA because he believes in getting "new blood" involved in the city. He said Thomas, a longtime city resident, is one of those young people he found along with Miracle Osbourne, who is now DDRA board chairman.

"Kelly is exceptional," Paler said.

Thomas, who could not be reached for comment Monday, is a former hotel marketer who recently served as DDRA board chairperson. She also is involved in several young professionals organizations.

"She will bring more of a marketing approach," Paler said.

Brown said Thomas will be able to use her experience in the hospitality industry, especially with the recently announced plan for a downtown dorm for the Alabama Center for the Arts.

"She knows the importance of quality of life and what will make downtown appealing to tourists," Brown said.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.