Dream Downtown event planned to get public input on what downtown needs

Those involved in the community initiative Transformation Through the Arts wants the public’s input for what locals want to see in the downtown area – whatever that Dream Downtown may look like.

And the sky is the limit, according to those involved.

“Downtown has come a long, long way as many of you know in the past 20 years, but our goal here through this arts initiative is to try to incorporate arts and culture and community development at the same time to grow our community and make it a place where people want to live, work and play,” said Angie Casey, the Wiregrass Foundation’s community liaison for Transformation Through the Arts.

Representatives from the Wiregrass Foundation, the City of Dothan, the Dothan Downtown Redevelopment Authority and others gathered Friday to announce the Dream Dothan event on April 26 from 5-8 p.m.

In exchange for getting your ideas, organizers are offering an evening of entertainment and food.

Dream Downtown will take place along the 100 block of Foster Street as well as at the Wiregrass Museum of Art. Bluegrass band Longleaf Drive will perform along with the casts of Wallace Community College’s “Cinderella” and the Southeast Alabama Dance Company’s “A Mermaid’s Tale.” There will be food trucks and downtown restaurants and businesses will be open. Residents can also participate in a sidewalk chalk art gallery or visit the museum for an interactive art installation, yard games and an outdoor bar.

Dothan City Manager Kevin Cowper said having a vibrant downtown can lead to good things throughout the city and area.

“It is the heart of our community,” Cowper said. “That is why it’s so vital to have a healthy downtown. It is the heart and soul of our community – the center for entertainment, for business, culture, for religious activity. All of those things are important to us. When you visit another community, more often than not, you visit the downtown and that is the image of that community that you take home with you. This is an opportunity for us to dream and dream big, to be inspired.”

There will be four different ways residents can share their thoughts on the future of downtown Dothan: a “Design Your Downtown” coloring sheet for kids 12 and under; “My Dothan is…” poem or essay sharing ideas or dreams for Dothan; “My Dothan Downtown Top 10” list of things that downtown needs; and the “Name Your Downtown” cards soliciting suggestions for what downtown should be called (currently it’s officially referred to as Dothan Downtown).

The Transformation Through the Arts initiative has been ongoing for about two years now. Those involved – who represent local art groups, education, business, government and tourism – have visited other cities like Bentonville, Arkansas, and Des Moines, Iowa, to find out how they used the arts to infuse new vitality into their communities and spur long-term economic development.

The effort has been spearheaded and supported by the Wiregrass Foundation, a community foundation that provides grant money for projects that improve the overall health, education and quality of life in the Wiregrass.

On April 28, a planning charette will be held involving teams of community members as well as those involved in Transformation Through the Arts. The goal is to develop a long-term master plan for the area, starting with downtown Dothan, said Troy Fountain, president of the Wiregrass Foundation. Fountain said the Transformation Through the Arts initiative needs a spirit of cooperation and collaboration with the public.

“This is our community, where we live, work and play and we want your voice to be heard,” Fountain said.