Insight

Alabama is a revelation to this Georgia native. You see, despite living in the Atlanta area for more than 20 years and most of my life in some part of the Peach State, I never wanted to even visit Alabama, much less live here.

But now, after just five weeks, Anniston feels like home, except better. I've been amazed to encounter such kind, friendly people, this beautiful landscape, these lovely historic buildings and neighborhoods, and a nationally respected newspaper, to boot. Who knew?

As I've puzzled over why I stayed away, I've concluded that it's those 1960s television images that have lingered so long in my mind. I remember them from the first time they flashed across the screen, and I've watched them more recently in that moving and compelling documentary, “Eyes on the Prize.”

Then, of course, as I researched whether to apply for this position, it took me all of one minute on the Internet to uncover Anniston's specific environmental history. I was then reminded that yes, somewhere in the back of my mind, the city was connected with PCBs contamination and chemical weapons storage.

I say all this as a preface to The Star's request that as the new executive director for the Spirit of Anniston, I outline my vision for the economic revitalization of the downtown and adjacent areas. I need to list a couple of caveats. Some things I'm proposing may have been considered previously and discarded for various reasons; other organizations already may have similar initiatives going that I haven't encountered yet. Nevertheless, I hope you'll see these in the light of someone who is happy to be here and wants to contribute.

First, Anniston needs a “Big Idea” in which to wrap all of the community's various economic, environmental and social efforts. As an outsider, I can clearly see the impact on self-image and public image that the pollution, racial conflicts, military base closing and even changing shopping habits have inflicted on the citizenry. It's easy and natural for this community to feel like a victim of uncontrollable, outside forces.

I propose that we explore Audubon International's Sustainable Communities Program. It would be a way to take control of all the negatives, to reframe and give context to the many positive initiatives under way already. It says to the world, “we're in charge of our destiny, our future,” not some distant corporation and certainly not the past. The sustainability vision and method can inform everything: redevelopment (the greenest building is the one that doesn't have to be built) and new development (pervious concrete, anyone?). It includes everyone: business, industry, government, education and individuals. It can provide the impetus for a community-wide discussion of racial and social issues, given that a divided community clearly can't sustain itself successfully over the long-term.

Luckily, we have a role model here in Alabama. Eufaula, under the leadership of Mayor Jay Jaxon, has become the first Certified Sustainable Community in the country. I'm sure they would gladly share their experience with us.

Secondly, downtown, including the West 15th Street area, needs tourism attractions. I see two opportunities: Civil Rights history and ecotourism, a la the Chief Ladiga Trail from Atlanta into downtown Anniston.

I understand there already are efforts to memorialize the 1961 bus burning on Highway 202. I would suggest the creation of a downtown plaza (we need more green space desperately), with a big piece of public art commemorating the Freedom Riders; maybe we should launch a national art competition. We also could add some large-scale, historic-themed murals on West 15th Street buildings depicting the neighborhood's heyday along with spotlighting the Montieth Amphitheatre at McClellan where the first black soldiers were commissioned into the integrated U.S. Army, and — voila! — we have an African-American heritage tour. Montgomery and Birmingham have acknowledged and honored the recent past; can't we? By the way, it's worth noting that heritage tourists spend about 30 percent more on their vacations than other tourists.

The other huge resource we have is the sport of cycling, whose local enthusiasts already have created a lot of success with the Noble Street Festival. Let's become the Cycling Capital of the Southeast. To our trails and mountain paths, we could add a vintage bicycle museum downtown (a local resident already has a core collection), and maybe the creation of a hostel in one of our unused industrial buildings. I already can see some bicycle-inspired public art scattered around the city, and a goofy parade of decorated bicycles with young and old wobbling down Noble Street.

The South Quintard gateway to downtown, hmmm; no doubt it needs focused attention and public investment. The Urban Land Institute has held seminars on “healing strip centers,” which probably is a tougher nut to crack than revitalizing a downtown of beautiful, old buildings that are just covered with ugly sheet metal. The commercial architecture of the '60s and '70s has little to commend itself. We may need to form a task force of the area's owners, renters and local leadership to find solutions that no doubt will involve the complexities of land assembly and the state department of transportation.

Once again, another Alabama community might teach us some lessons. A few years back Fairhope's business leadership began an aggressive and successful program to improve the appearance of their interstate gateway. Let's talk to them.

I'll save my thoughts on the importance of strengthening downtown neighborhoods for another column, and how, in time, we might develop a national marketing campaign to attract retiring baby boomers from the Northeast, those who have put in their 30 years as teachers, police and firemen. Let's invite them to come home.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this insight from Richard Florida, author of Cities and the Creative Class. He says that highly skilled workers have become the critical factor of economic growth and that industry now follows them, instead of the other way around. He points out that these workers are attracted to a tolerant local society; proximity to a quality natural environment; an abundance of entertainment and cultural opportunities, and an existing mass of creative workers.

From my limited five-week perspective, I think Anniston can easily aspire to get into this new economic game, and if my ideas survive the Spirit board's scrutiny and gain public support I would enjoy integrating them into the existing community efforts.