Effort underway to revitalize downtown Oxford

A group of oxford business owners, residents and city officials met Thursday at the city’s Performing Arts Center to discuss initiating a revitalization program aimed at reenergizing the economy of historic downtown Oxford.    According to Mary Helmer, president and state coordinator for the Main Street Alabama program, Oxford was one of 20 municipalities that shown an interest in applying for the program this year.  The program offers resources to help member cities revitalize their downtowns, and although Main Street Alabama does not offer grants to help in those efforts, the nonprofit does help municipalities access other grants that can.

The city is applying to become a member city of Main Street Alabama, the state’s coordinating agency for the National Main Street Center, a nonprofit arm of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that works to foster downtown revitalization efforts nationwide.