In the News: Downtown Dothan Revitalization

Downtown Dothan Revitalization

Get ready, Dothan residents! Your community is getting a new look and more development. The Downtown Dothan revitalization happening within the next few years plans to bring new life to old buildings while adding more community spaces.

Downtown Dothan Revitalization

The “Dothan City Center Design and Redevelopment Plan” plans for a design scheme that easily connects the architecture of earlier times with new designs in order to revitalize Downtown Dothan.

In admiration and recognition, the City of Dothan has been selected as the 2022 Franklin M. Setzer Urban Design Award winner. This award is given in memory of Frank Setzer, the former director of the Auburn University Architecture and Urban Studies Center in Birmingham.

This award recognizes the current redesign happening at the Dothan City Center and the six years of planning efforts on the Highway 84 East Corridor.

Design plans include public spaces for arts and entertainment, retail spaces, lodging, and more.

More Details

In order for city leaders to make the acres of unused property more desirable for developers, they have applied for a state grant. This grant would allow for environmental testing in order to target areas that could cause future development issues.

Environmental testing will be optional for property owners, and if the city receives the grant, it will be at no cost to them. The city hopes to hear if they have received the grant by April or May of 2023.

Making great advances towards the Downtown Dothan revitalization, the city has accepted one million dollars in federal funding from the county for the construction of a future green space.

The green space will be located next to the opera house where Dothan Utilities is currently located. This is considered “phase one” of the project, which includes renovations to the Dothan Opera House.

A new development has also been announced. In a public meeting in October, the city announced plans for the City Center’s Pedestrian Plaza. Located in the middle of the plaza will be a new amphitheater. This amphitheater will be able to seat about 200 people and provide an entertainment space for concerts and other events.

Dothan is aiming to start construction on the green space by the summer of 2023. They also plan to start construction on the City Center’s Pedestrian Plaza next summer with a grand opening in the spring of 2025.

Plans also include expanding Porter Park.

Summary

This Downtown Dothan revitalization will offer residents and visitors new opportunities for entertainment and chances to explore the culture offered downtown.

Looking for a place you can call home and enjoy the community around you? Contact Carriage House Apartments in Dothan today! To stay updated on more community news and events, continue reading our blogs.