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July 14, 2011

Kiwanis speaker discusses downtown Dalton

Submitted by the Kiwanis Club of Dalton

Downtown Dalton can be many things to many people.

“Some people consider Bry-Man’s Plaza downtown, and sometimes even out Cleveland Highway,” said Veronica French, marketing and communications director for the Downtown Dalton Development Authority.

But for the purposes of the DDDA, the downtown business district is “basically from Morris Street to Waugh Street and then from the railroad tracks to Thornton Avenue.”  

French told members of the Kiwanis Club of Dalton on Monday that the area is expanding a little bit.

“It now includes the Creative Arts Guild and the library up Waugh Street and there are even businesses coming up Emery Street,” she said.

The DDDA offices are in the freight depot, located behind Peacock Alley.

“The Downtown Development Authority is a legislatively enacted authority,” French said. “We are our own municipal corporation that can tax. And we can also have bonds, etc.”

In 2007-2008, the DDDA collected $205,000 in taxes. The collections have since been lowered to the current $65,000 per year. French is the only paid employee.

Downtown Dalton is a “Main Street City.” Façade grants are available to downtown merchants. Up to half of the renovation of the front of a building can be reimbursed up to $5,000 per building. The Fanning Institute at the University of Georgia helps to provide design work for “next to nothing,” French said.

As a Main Street City, downtown property owners are eligible for loans from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the Georgia Cities Foundation. The revolving loans pay primarily for property acquisition. They cover up to 40 percent of a project at a loan rate of 2 percent.

French said the DDDA has started a public arts program.

“Like downtown Athens has bulldogs, we will have peacocks,” she said.

Ten fiberglass peacock statues have been purchased to start. The statues are five feet tall and will be permanently mounted in various areas downtown.

“They are available for purchase,” French said. “They will not cost taxpayers any money. It’s a public arts project that is funded through the sponsorship of the peacocks.”

Walking trails have also been established using downtown sidewalks.

“We have a lot of people who take advantage of this, especially guests from out of town,” French said. “They want to go somewhere and see something and not just walk around a track.”

A map is available at the DDDA office. Historic buildings are listed on the map.  

The DDDA works with civic groups and others to coordinate events to be held in the downtown area. This includes permits for many of the events. Marketing for downtown includes a presence on local radio stations, in the newspaper, on local cable television and a billboard on I-75. Representatives from the DDDA also appear on Chattanooga television early morning news programs.

New businesses in downtown Dalton include a serve yourself frozen yogurt shop operated by Kasey Carpenter, owner of the Oakwood Café.

“It has a buffet bar of toppings that you can put on it. You weigh it at the end and that is how you pay for it,” French said.

The new shop is at the northwest corner of Hamilton and Morris streets.

“We have the Stone Lion Tavern that has been open a little while,” French said. “It’s really changed downtown after 5 p.m. And then the Iron Gate Pizzeria reopened. A lot of people are looking at different business options downtown. We have people calling every day.”

Upcoming events include the weekly Saturday Market in Dalton Green. A complete calendar of scheduled events is available at the DDDA office. The list includes Dalton Little Theatre and Creative Arts Guild events.

 

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