Phenix City buys $850,000 in properties to ‘spur downtown growth.’ What’s the plan?
The Phenix City Council recently approved an $850,000 property purchase that the city plans to later use in their long-term plan for development in the downtown area.
The two properties, located at 1109 and 1113 5th Avenue and 1110 and 1112 Broad Street, were purchased by the city from Charles F. Haines, Jr.
Phenix City Economic Development Manager Shaun Culligan said the properties will be used for temporary storage while the public safety building at 601 12th Street undergoes renovations.
“(The purchase) gives us the opportunity to use it temporarily,” Culligan said, “then put a plan together to spur downtown growth.”
Culligan said the properties meet the city’s “long-term plan for riverfront development,” which includes nightlife, coffee shops and potentially residential properties.
That vision already has begun taking shape.
Chattahoochee Brewing, at 505 13th Street, is just across the 13th Street bridge and tucked in next to the Chattahoochee River.
For a while, it was one of the only breweries in the area. It’s also one of the top rated places to grab a drink in the area and offers locally crafted drinks.
The Phenix City Housing Authority cut the ribbon last December at Whitewater Village, an 82-unit apartment complex. It’s the first on-site revitalization phase at the former Riverview Court Apartments public housing complex.
The complex includes one-, two- and three-bedroom units that range from 850 to 1,500 square feet. Forty-seven units are under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Housing. The remaining 35 units are traditional Section 8 housing.
“Businesses up and down the riverfront,” Culligan said. “That’s our plan — that’s our hope for the future.”
