New projects could revitalize downtown Phil Campbell
The future holds promise of additional pavilions and picnic tables at Phil Campbell Memorial Park.
By Nicole Burns for the FCT
If one were to blink while driving through Phil Campbell, one might miss the city’s downtown area, but city leaders are hoping upcoming changes will help expand and revitalize the area.
Several projects currently in the works focus on making downtown Phil Campbell more appealing to both business owners and customers. In turn, more local merchants might open their doors along Phil Campbell’s Broad Street.
Memorial Park
Since its dedication in April 2012, the Phil Campbell Memorial Park has become a popular place for family parties, picnics and an afternoon at the playground for area children. The park is also the hub for local events, such as the city’s annual Hoedown Festival.
Mayor Steve Bell said the city recently bought more property that already adjoins Memorial Park in hopes of adding more pavilions and picnic tables for in the future.
Downtown parking
Across the street at the corner of McClung Street and Broad Street, Bell said the city has plans to add 38 new parking spaces by the end of September. “Right now, if you have a business in downtown, you only have one or two places to park in front of your business,” said Bell. “So, this will be parking for the downtown area plus the park.”
Bell said the council continues to bounce around ideas on how to get access to public restrooms near Memorial Park. Right now, there are no concrete plans in the works, but Bell said that the council is working hard to move forward. “I have a good council,” said Bell. “We’re on the same page working together to get things done.” The parking project is set to begin the third week of September.
School Street paving
Also starting the third week of September is the resurfacing of School Street alongside Phil Campbell High and Elementary schools. Bell said crews would be asked to do their work during regular school hours and have crews vacated before the final bell rings. The construction might cause a few minor delays for parents picking up their students at the elementary school in the afternoon. The resurfacing project should only last about two days.
Curbs, sidewalks and lampposts
Last month, the city was awarded a Transportation Assistance Program grant of nearly $200,000. This grant will help the city put in sidewalks, curbs and lampposts along two blocks of Broad Street, starting at the Phil Campbell High School/First Baptist Church intersection, working northward past Memorial Park.
The TAP grant is an 80-20 match, meaning the city must come up with 20 percent of the expected cost in order to receive the other 80 percent from the State of Alabama. The city has two years to begin construction, but Bell said he believes it will begin before the end of the summer 2016.
