Gray Downtown Development Authority members voted to move forward with the paving of a public parking lot that will also serve the Butler Hall event venue.
The parking lot is located on Ross Street in Downtown Gray.
DDA Chairman Sherri Rollins called the May 9 meeting to order, and the first report was from DDA member and Treasurer Cecil Ethridge. He said the checking account balance was $85,095, with no large checks outstanding.
DDA Secretary Ashley Roberson said she has two rent checks to deposit, and Rollins noted that the budget for revenues for Butler Hall was $30,000 and the actual collections were already over $40,000.
Roberson reminded the members that the DDA would begin paying the utilities in June per an agreement with the City of Gray.
Old Business
Roberson, who is also the Main Street Gray Director, said she recently completed the Main Street 101 training. She said the training was divided in four sections and takes approximately two hours. The test is taken following the sessions.
Since the DDA is now also the Main Street Gray Advisory Committee, all members are required to take the Main Street training. Rollins suggested they do
Rollins suggested they do the training as a group, and members agreed by consensus to work on a date for the training.
New Business
Roberson presented the marketing update. She said two weddings were booked at Butler Hall last month, and four events are booked for May. The director said she met with a representative from Cumulus Media about scheduling another Sweet Deal campaign.
Rollins said the agreement does not cost anything out of pocket and generates a lot of advertising for Butler Hall. She said the only cost is in-kind for the event that is purchased in the campaign.
The motion was made to move forward with the Sweet Deal campaign, and the vote to approve was unanimous. Roberson said advertising for the package would begin June 17.
Rollins said Jones County has been selected for the Lieutenant Governor’s Education Summit for College and Career Academies across the state Sept. 29. She said the event would take place at Butler Hall.
The chairman said a sound system would benefit the venue and suggested it would be a good idea to have it in place for the September event.
“This is huge for the Jones County College and Career Academy. It’s very unusual to have this in a small community,” she said.
Rollins said the event was also a great opportunity to showcase Butler Hall. She noted the sound system would be expensive, and it was suggested the DDA contact people and businesses in the community that may have resources, expertise and contacts to help.
The chairman announced that Gray received a grant from the Community Foundation of Middle Georgia in the amount of $20,000. She said those funds could be used to offset the cost of paving the parking lot and pay the overage for building materials.
DDA members approved the bid in the amount of $75,500 from Houston Asphalt to pave the lot at an April 25 called meeting. She said the removal of the concrete slab remaining from the bus shop would bring the total cost of the paving project to $85,700.
The slab removal, however, will be done by company that demolished the building.
Rollins said the timeline for the paving project would be the end of May or first of June.
Ethridge asked about possible help from the city with the cost of the paving project, since the lot is used by customers of several downtown business.
“It’s really used as a public parking lot,” he said.
In her chairman’s comments, Rollins said she was recently in Tombs County and saw the huge project underway to build a new courthouse. She suggested that the DDA help put together a group to push Jones County’s Courthouse expansion project forward.
“I know the project is going to cost millions of dollars, but we need to bring it back to the forefront,” she said.
DDA member Bert King said it is a good time to restart the discussion. He volunteered to speak with Superior Court Judge Amanda Petty, whose office is located in the Jones County Courthouse.
“There are a lot of moving parts, but the need is extreme,” he said.
Rollins said the committee for the expansion had met and there was even an architect’s plan for the expansion.
“This greatly affects out downtown. We need to keep the courthouse in the center,” she said.
King said there were more options since the pandemic and the use of virtual courts.
More comments included DDA member Vicki Ethridge, who said community members are noticing the improvements to downtown Gray.
“People come up to me and say how nice it looks,” she said.
King said he appreciates hearing young people who want to open businesses here.
Roberson reported that the 2022 Trunk or Treat was scheduled Oct. 22, and West Clinton Street would be closed from Madison Street to Jefferson Street for vendors.
The director asked for help in setting the date for Christmas on Main Street. The members talked about the possibility of the first Saturday in December but ultimately agreed on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, for the event.
The DDA, acting as the Main Street Advisory Committee, also agreed to allow local businesses to have spaces at the Christmas on Main Street event free of charge to help promote their businesses.
“Not everyone sees what our local shops have,” Roberson said.
Members also agreed that Butler Hall would be utilized at the Christmas on Main Street event.
DDA Member David Tufts suggested looking into street banners as have been displayed in the past.
Roberson also announced Gray’s City Council members approved the bid for the crosswalk on West Clinton Street at the courthouse.
