We are truly blessed in this city to have a beautiful, thriving downtown and Fountain Square Park right in the middle of it.

The downtown has come a long way from years ago when storefronts were vacant and the area lacked the viability it exhibits today. 

Thanks to revitalization efforts over the past 12 to 15 years, the downtown has attracted many new businesses and on any given day people can be seen shopping at any of the many stories downtown.

While these revitalization efforts weren’t cheap, the progress that has been made through them was certainly worth it in the long run because at the end of the day we all want to see our downtown prosper.

We are not only blessed with a beautiful downtown, we are also truly blessed with Fountain Square Park. The park, which goes back to the pre-Civil War days, is very historic with its iconic fountain, 100-plus-year-old shade trees, manicured grass and landscaping and beautiful flowers that are planted every spring. 

While we are fortunate to have a beautiful downtown and park, we also know that they are in need of some upgrades and repairs.

City officials recently focused on these short- and long-term goals and a few others regarding downtown at a retreat. 

One of the longest discussions was regarding Fountain Square Park, for which about $600,000 is budgeted this year to replace pavers, continue cosmetic improvements and repair the iconic central fountain.

Longer-range projects will aim to improve walkability, increase parking and signage around the park. 

We are really glad the city has budgeted for improvements and repairs in the park because it truly is an iconic symbol of our city that is very worthy of continued upkeep.

It was also good to hear that city officials are looking at ways to increase parking, improve walkability and at adding additional signage around the park. We are glad that city officials are looking at potentially building a park in the Shake Rag area with a shelter, benches and paths. We look forward to see what happens with that project, as we believe it deserves strong consideration. 

We believe these are all positive steps that will be very beneficial to the historic park and downtown area.