By Staff
Our View
For all the damage and devastation wrought by Hurricane Ivan, the storm was also revealing.
The intense winds ripped the metal and wood coverings away from a number of downtown storefronts, revealing their original brick facades. What was there underneath those decaying wood and metal panels was the original, sometimes intricate brickwork of craftsmen who left their mark upon this town as long as 100 years ago.
Many of those metal and wood coverings were placed over our downtown buildings 20, 30 and perhaps as longs as 40 years ago when it was the style to "modernize" the look of the old downtown Main Street.
It was the style, and the main street store fronts of may small towns in this country tried to take on a more "modern" look. Today, that so-called modern look has looked out of date and decayed for many years. Many of those "modern" coverings in Atmore were no different.
It's time to let those coverings go for good. Take down the last remnants of those metal and wooden coverings. Let the long-lasting beauty and craftsmanship of our town's original brickwork shine through.
Take a look at any downtown area where revitalization efforts are going strong, and you'll see there are few of those metal shells remaining. They've been taken away, leaving the building's original facade to again face the world.
We urge downtown building owners to do the same. As you rebuild and repair from Ivan, bring out the beauty of your building's original facade. Take down those rotting boards and tin sheets.
While we have a right to be proud of our Main Street, but it could still use some work. By returning these storefronts to their original condition, we will be enhancing the overall beauty of Main Street and creating a more cohesive, enticing look for our town.