Old Town Helena

Old Town Helena is a planned "main street revitalization" on Helena Road in Helena's historic downtown, south of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad tracks.

The plan for redeveloping the district was initiated by Helena mayor Sonny Penhale in the mid 1990s. He had in mind a stretch of restaurants, antique shops, boutiques and other businesses in historic buildings serving as a magnet for visitors and shoppers. He was inspired by towns like Helen, Georgia that made concerted efforts to remake their historic downtowns into visitor attractions.

The city created a master plan in 1996 which included a new zoning classification, "B-4 Business Renaissance" which sought to encourage certain types of visitor-friendly businesses "to advance the economic development of the district yet preserve and enhance its historical and architectural integrity." Proposed businesses locating in the district have to satisfy a design review committee that their plans are in line with the aesthetic appeal of the area.

Developers Ronnie Morton and Joe Habshey took the lead in moving, restoring and constructing compatible structures and contracting with businesses. Their goal was to reconstruct the 1890s appearance of the main street through town. Early tenants have included Big Mountain Coffee, Incahoots, Bead Biz an ice cream parlor and a few offices.

The expected business boom, however, has not yet materialized. Numerous spaces remain vacant. Penhale expects that conditions will improve with the widening of Alabama Highway 261 and the construction of a by-pass that will relieve traffic. Some tenants have complained that the rents are too high for small businesses to afford.

References

• Hurst, Samantha (November 21, 2007) "Saving Old Town: Battling empty storefronts in longtime business district." Shelby County Reporter.