VILLA RICA (Ga.) – Six members of the Villa Rica Main Street Advisory Board took the oath of office during the July 7, 2015 City Council meeting. Included were members Kelly Bell, Kim Collins, Renata Gordon, Matt Momtahan, Carl Peabody, and Chad Sadorf. The City Council also unanimously voted to appoint former City Clerk Barbara Daniell to the Advisory Board. Daniell will be sworn in at the City Council’s next meeting in August.
Main Street Villa Rica is a downtown revitalization program that uses the Main Street Four Point Approach (organization, design, promotion, and economic development) to continuously work to promote, retain, and recruit businesses through historic preservation-based economic development.
Since 2007 when the program first earned its Main Street designation, Main Street Villa Rica was guided by the city’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA). “In an effort to clearly define the goals and objectives for Main Street and the DDA, the two programs were separated earlier this year,” said City Manager David A. Milliron. Main Street Villa Rica now functions as a division of the city’s Community Development Department. The program is coordinated by a Main Street manager with support from a seven-member volunteer-based Advisory Board and four standing committees.
In June, the Advisory Board participated in a mission and vison development session facilitated by downtown development professional Stephanie Aylworth. “It was an amazing meeting with an even more amazing group of people! The love for VR (Villa Rica) really shined this morning…so excited about all the new things for our Main Street Program,” stated board member Kimberly Collins on a Main Street Facebook page post.
Critical to the foundation of Main Street Villa Rica, the program’s mission aims to “provide a premier destination where individuals, families, and businesses can thrive by preserving historic charm, encouraging local spending, and creating a sense of community. We will establish a safe and diverse walkable environment that promotes connectivity through a variety of opportunities.” The vison of the Main Street Villa Rica Program “is to create a vibrant destination that breathes life and diversity into our downtown.”
To discover more about Main Street Villa Rica and the program’s revitalization efforts, visit www.villarica-mainstreet.com.
