Words and Images by Jenny Lynn Davis
Community members stopped by the Jasper Main Street office on Thursday, May 1, to get a closer look at the ideas being developed for the future of downtown. The open house allowed residents to see early concepts, offer feedback, and learn more about what could be next for the city center.
Mary Helmer Wirth, state coordinator for Main Street Alabama, welcomed the group and reflected on how far the community has come.
“Jasper [Main Street] came on board in 2015, and it’s been a pleasure to watch the city go from sleepy to really awake,” she said. “The transformation downtown over the past ten years has been amazing. I know you’re ready for the next step.”
That next step is being shaped in partnership with Franklin, Tennessee-based Downtown Professionals Network and Urban Design Specialist Michael Schroeder, who discussed several ideas focused on walkability, housing, green space, and new ways to connect people to the downtown area.
“Downtowns take time to evolve,” Schroeder said. “What we’re showing here isn’t a mandate; it’s just a starting point for discussion.”
The concepts included small-scale living, flexible mixed-use buildings that could support jobs and housing, and ideas for creatively reusing older buildings. Schroeder pointed out the potential to add more green spaces like Town Creek, support small local businesses, and make downtown easier to navigate on foot.
Other suggestions included a train-viewing platform, trail connections to local parks, and smaller projects like murals or outdoor gathering spots that could add color and energy to existing spaces.
Many of the ideas presented were guided by a recent community survey, which showed strong interest in walkable spaces, creative housing options like tiny homes, and more local restaurants, shopping, and cultural events. Survey respondents said they want downtown to feel lively, local, and better connected.
“We’re not finished,” Schroeder said. “We still have a report to complete, and your input helps shape what that looks like. The goal is to spark conversations about what kind of downtown you want.”
The team will return in June with a final version of the report. In the meantime, Jasper residents are encouraged to keep the conversation going. WL
