Downtown, LaFayette, GA

- Economic Restructuring and Organization
- Design
- Promotions

Economic Restructuring/Organization Committee - The Economic Restructuring/Organization Committee manages the financial and logistical aspects of the City of LaFayette's Downtown Development Authority and works within the DDA area boundaries. The committee's purpose is to identify new market opportunities for the commercial district, to find new uses for historic and commercial buildings, to stimulate investment in property, to raise funds for projects and administration through donations and sponsorships, to manage staff and volunteers by recruiting and supervising them, to promote the program to the public and downtown interests, and to manage finances.

The committee's ongoing projects include developing and maintaining the DDA Main Street program's website, coordinating the planning and judging of art contests with local schools to promote downtown and historic preservation, managing a facade grant program with funding from local banks to help upgrade storefronts, administering grants and overseeing the rehabilitation of Chattooga Academy, and working with other groups to develop or to attract businesses and special events to downtown LaFayette.

Gretchen Neal serves as committee chairman.;Shannon McConnell serves as vice chairman.;Commissioner Bebe Heiskell, Dave Gilbert, Mindy McCannon, Brian Prather, Bill Scarborough, Bob Hannah and Mayor Neal Florence serve on the committee.

Design Committee - The purpose of the City of LaFayette Downtown Development Authority's Design Committee is to promote preservation of historic resources through incentives and public education, to provide good design guidance and to plan downtown development by guiding growth and shaping regulations.The committee also serves as the Main Street committee of the Historic Preservation Commission and works with the DDA's boundaries. The committee's ongoing projects implementing a facade grant program and project design guidelines, working with the LaFayette City Council to adopt a historic preservation ordinance and to designate the historic downtown business district, and developing a brochure for a walking tour of historic buildings in downtown.

Connie Forster serves as committee chairman. Caroline Chase, Leroy Chase, Ann Hobbs, Jim Cole, and David Boyle serve on the committee.

Promotions Committee - The Promotion Committee plans festivals, parades, retail events and image development campaigns to encourage customer traffic downtown. The committee markets downtown to shoppers, investors and visitors. Some of the committee's most successful activities include Scare on the Square, motorcycle and hot rod cruise-ins, sponsoring youth art projects and promoting the Northwest Georgia Arts Guild's Foothills Gallery. The committee works with city government, local businesses and civic organizations to make downtown an attractive, exciting place to work, shop, dine and live.

Bill Scarborough serves as committee chairman. Marilyn Jackson, Frances Cobb, Jeff Davis, Anthony Thompson, Penny Cordell, Gayla Brewer and Stacy Mauer serve on the committee. Liaisons include Vince Stalling (Hope Productions), Mary Smitherman and Evelle Dana (Marsh House Task Force), and Eddie Wilson and Dick Dengler (Rugged Cross Riders) work with the committee to coordinate and promote their events.