Main Street Alabama recognizes downtown Decatur with 4 awards

Bayne Hughes, The Decatur Daily, Ala.
·2 min read

Aug. 21—HUNTSVILLE — Decatur was honored for the seventh year in a row by Main Street Alabama during its recent 10th annual Awards of Excellence banquet.

The group celebrated the successes of local programs on Aug. 17 at the Stovehouse restaurant..

Decatur's award winners were: Hero Award: Doug Bacchus; Historic Rehabilitation: Citizens Bank and the owners of the building housing it, Steve Armistead and Yogi Dougher; Marketing Promotion: Dia de Los Muertos, committee chairs Mayte Rodriguez and Jesse Gonzalez; and Reinvestment Award: $60 million private investment in Decatur, accepted by Decatur City Councilman Kyle Pike, whose District 2 includes downtown.

Kelly Thomas, director of the local Main Street program Decatur Downtown Redevelopment Authority, said she is proud of the Decatur award winners and their accomplishments.

"We have an outstanding community full of movers and shakers in our downtown," Thomas said. "Our reinvestment award specifically shows that others are seeing why it's great to be in downtown Decatur too.

"Having $60 million in private investment just last year shows everyone wants to be a part of downtown Decatur," she added.

Michelle Williamson, marketing and public relations director for Morell Engineering in Athens, also received a Main Street Hero award. Williamson is a longtime Athens Main Street board member and chairs the promotion committee.

Mary Helmer Wirth, Main Street Alabama's president and state coordinator, and Trisha Black, assistant state coordinator, recognized projects and individuals who made significant contributions to their communities.

The Awards of Excellence program highlighted the impacts of honorees in their respective areas.

The Awards of Excellence recognized winners in the categories of adaptive reuse, preservation, historic rehabilitation, fundraising, public/private partnerships, business development, economic impact, promotion, business promotion, marketing, tourism, volunteer development, placemaking, design development, non-historic building design, reinvestment, and planning and public space.

Local Main Street programs also honored an individual, business or organization as a Main Street Hero for making an outstanding contribution to their program.

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