Montevallo Main "Streetscape"

By: Elizabeth Rhinehart

After ten years of talking about it, setting up a budget, and trying to get all of the remaining pieces in order, Main Street Montevallo is receiving an upgrade. 

A few months ago, the City of Montevallo, in collaboration with the Alabama Department of Transportation, began construction on this five million dollar project that will be completed by December 2017. 

First Look at the New Downtown Montevallo

Some of the main focuses of this project are: to rekindle the city's water system, to beautify downtown, and to bring more business and restaurants to Main Street. In addition to all of those technical things, the most important thing to Mayor Hollie Cost and her assistant Sarah Hogan is to provide an atmosphere that fits Montevallo's entire demographic.

"It's going to create more areas where people will want to hang out, where they want to have gathering spaces," says Sarah. 

In order to satisfy that need, the city will be releasing a survey to the entire community to find out what they would really like to see in downtown Montevallo.

"We are in the process of completing a market study and that market study will enable us to go out and actively seek businesses that will be a good fit for Montevallo," says Mayor Cost.

During the Summer of 2016, Montevallo was named one of twenty "Main Street Alabama" locations, which allows the city to receive 80% of their funding from Alabama's Department of Transportation. 

Construction of the New Water Lines

"It's actually an Alabama Department of Transportation project, so a lot of the decisions are actually made by ALDOT and not the city, but the city is doing 20% of it," says Sarah.

Because of this extra funding, the city was able to go ahead and start with basic maintenance that was needed downtown. Construction workers are currently installing new water lines and they're making all sidewalks downtown wheelchair accessible. 

The 20% of funding that is coming from the city is from a budget that was established years ago when the city imposed a one cent sales tax. No current budgets are being af

fected by this project.

For more information on the Main Street Alabama project, click here.

To contact Sarah Hogan with any questions, comments or concerns about the project, click here.

Facts About Montevallo Since the Project Began (Courtesy of Main Street Alabama)