Main Street Locust Grove was recently honored for the first time among its counterparts across the state.
The program was selected as Main Street Of The Month for the month of August. The city’s Main Street program has been active in the city since 2006, said Main Street Manager Anna Ogg. She said she is “thrilled” to share the program’s accomplishments with other communities in Georgia.
“We’re very excited to be Main Street of the Month, because we are such a small program,” said Ogg. “Downtown development isn’t just for larger cities. Small cities can participate in downtown revitalization as well.”
Ogg said a number of positive developments in the city have contributed to the program’s latest accolade.
“Using Main Street’s strategic approach, the city of Locust Grove has begun to successfully transform our historic railroad town into a thriving center for our quickly growing community,” said Ogg. “Our progress is the result of public improvement projects, dedicated volunteers, and increased private investment, as well as our commitment to preserving the historic and cultural resources that make us unique.”
Earlier this year, Locust Grove was designated as a Revitalizing
Underdeveloped Rural Area Legislation – or R.U.R.A.L. – Zone Community. The designation, said Ogg, signifies the city’s efforts in “incentivizing private investment, historic rehabilitation, and job creation in our downtown.”
“Our city has made many advances in economic development over the past 13 years as a designated Main Street community, and we aspire to build on that success to make downtown Locust Grove a vibrant place to live, work, and visit,” said Ogg.
The Peach Pit Bar and Grill, at 3837 Ga. Highway 42, opened August 9 and is the first recipient of the city’s R.U.R.A.L. Zone tax credit in downtown Locust Grove. Ogg said the credit is almost $250,000 on state income taxes.
“It is a huge deal,” said Ogg. “It has real implications for our downtown and encouraging people to relocate here, to create jobs and rehabilitate historic buildings.”
