LEEDS, Ala. (WIAT) – Leeds residents will get a chance Tuesday to explore downtown with a national real estate development consultant and share their ideas for revitalizing the area. By walking together, attendees can talk about the potential for Leeds' future growth and vibrancy.
Kristy Biddle is the executive director of Leeds Main Street and joined CBS 42 Morning News on Sunday to talk about the event. She said the nonprofit is offering the opportunity to bring in experts after the city received a grant for it to happen.
Joe Borgstrom is a national real estate development consultant from Place + Main in Michigan and will be in the area Tuesday and Wednesday to help lead the process.
“He’ll be looking at vacant buildings and talking to the city a little bit about what we have going on downtown,” Biddle said. “Ultimately, the most exciting part is the Walking Visioning Tour.”
Biddle said the Walking Visioning Tour is community led because the citizens understand the heart of downtown the best.
“I think that sometimes the citizens aren’t sure how to voice or how to see what they want to happen downtown, how to help facilitate that,” Biddle said. “This is an opportunity for all of those groups to come together with the citizens. Really, the people who live in Leeds are the ones. We want foot traffic downtown. We love local businesses.”
Biddle said it is a low-key event where they will talk about vacant properties. If you participate, you’ll be given a pack of sticky notes to write down ideas that you will stick on storefront windows as you walk by.
“In my perfect world, we would have someone who has an idea of maybe opening a bakery or something like that to be part of this tour and to hear all of their friends and neighbors say, ‘Oh, this is what I would like to see here,'" Biddle said. "And hopefully, it would give them the momentum and that bravery to take that step and open up a business downtown."
“As they walk, and as we pass by each building, each property that’s available, they’ll be able to put on the windows what they would like to see there,” Biddle continued. “Then, Main Street Alabama will also have a team there collecting those to create a community report of what the community would really like to see.”
The event is at 6 p.m. Tuesday. You can meet at the parking lot next to the Leeds Jane Culbreth Library. You can visit Leeds Main Street’s website, call 205-937-3203 and email director@leedsmainstreet.com or info@leedsmainstreet.com for more information.