The City of Thomasville’s West Jackson Streetscape Project has been honored with yet another statewide award. The project, which was completed in The Bottom District, was recently recognized as the 2020 Small Cities/Rural Communities Award Winner for Historical Restoration/Preservation by the Georgia Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA). The Sixth Annual Chapter Awards program recognizes outstanding public works employees, individual groups, and projects representing the best achievements in the public works profession for the State of Georgia.
“It is an honor to once again have the West Jackson Streetscape Project recognized for its vision to restore and preserve the historic significance of The Bottom District,” said Alan Carson, City Manager. “Receiving this award proves that the public and private investment is not just visible to us on a local level, but is also recognized at the State level as well.”
Project development, construction processes, environmental preservation, use of alternative materials, and creativity were among some of the award criteria, with the winning project demonstrating an overall positive community impact before, during, and upon completion. “This award celebrates the execution of the community’s vision for this important, historic commercial area in Thomasville,” said Wayne Newsome, City Engineer. “A central focus of the design was to preserve the historic character of the area. In addition to re-using the original historic bricks, we also introduced pedestrian scale lighting to enhance the safety of the street. The project also utilized innovative technologies to promote the health of street trees and prevent tree roots from cracking sidewalks and streets.”
“The project was a part of The Creative District Vision Plan that was put in place in 2014 by Thomasville Main Street leadership, City Planning staff, Thomasville residents, and community partners and leaders,” said April Norton, Director of Economic & Community Development. “From this initial plan, three important projects were developed including The Ritz Amphitheater and Park, the Community Trail trailhead and finally, the West Jackson Streetscape Project.”
Since its inception, the restoration and preservation project for The Bottom District has been highly recognized. The recognition by the APWA marks the fourth award presented to the City after previously receiving honors from the Georgia Downtown Association and the Georgia Municipal Association.
According to Carson, this award, and the many others that have been received, represents the efforts of many in the community who believed in the vision for The Bottom District. “These awards are something that all of Thomasville can be proud of because it represents what we as a community have accomplished together,” said Carson. “What first began as a vision has now transformed an area of downtown Thomasville. There have been many departments and many hours from Team Thomasville invested in making these plans a reality, and I’m very proud of their efforts.”
For more information about this or any City of Thomasville project, visit Thomasville.org or call 229-227-7001.
