Developing Stephens County was the topic of the day as the Stephens County Development Authority held their first fall 2009 “Developer Day” event, which followed three successful spring events. Seven statewide economic development project managers from the Georgia Department of Labor, Georgia EMC, Quick Start, Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, Georgia Department of Economic Development, AGL Resources, and Georgia Department of Community Affairs toured the community. The goal of the trip was to gain a more in-depth understanding of Toccoa-Stephens County’s assets and economic needs so as to better foster development in the area.
The statewide guests also were able to present to a local leadership team about their role in the development of Northeast Georgia. David Shellhorse of the Georgia Department of Community affairs spoke about his work on the Canopies Project in historic downtown Toccoa:
"Removing the canopies which covered Toccoa’s historic downtown district and providing additional streetscape improvements was among the most rewarding, collaborative and innovative projects I have encountered during my time at DCA. An astounding four different grant funding sources contributed to this project which represented a 100% aesthetic makeover and revitalization of a charming and now vibrant downtown area. Of the four grants, DCA helped to administer three of them: OneGeorgia, the Redevelopment Fund, and the Appalachian Regional Commission (USDA was the other funding source).
"The downtown area had been compromised visually a few decades ago with the construction of large canopies which were installed in an innovative attempt to compete with and create the feeling of an indoor shopping mall. Malls were becoming increasingly popular and downtown areas were becoming increasingly affected and marginalized by their presence. While the canopies did not end up providing a direct competitor with the wave of malls and large shopping centers that emerged throughout the region, the canopies did help the community realize that there are things intrinsic about downtown areas that could never be offered by a mall: history, charm, and character. Through strong local leadership and vision in this project, those qualities have been restored. It is also necessary to mention that the administrative coordination between four different government funding sources and all of their various programmatic requirements was masterfully executed."
Read the entire Developer Day press release here: Developer Day showcases Toccoa's assets
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