Wetumpka Continues Revitalization Efforts

Gerry Purcell with the Wetumpka Area Chamber is excited about the growth he’s seeing in the city.

“We’re seeing businesses started,” he explained, “we have an incubator and an innovation center here so we are actually launching businesses.”

Purcell also says they’re becoming a destination for kayak bass fishing.  The city hosted a tournament just a few weeks ago and it’s slated to host another in May.

One of the major driving forces behind this boom is Main Street Wetumpka.
The organization is planning a streetscape project  for late summer.

“Restructuring of the roads and the walkways, implementing green spaces, more pedestrian friendly,” shared Main Street Wetumpka Executive Director Jenny Stubbs.

Some local business owners, like Sharon Brooks, say the help with roads can’t come soon enough.  She says it has been hard to attract customers with construction in the city.

Construction on the Hampton Inn hotel in downtown Wetumpka, though, has slowed down recently.  Neither Mayor Jerry Willis or the owner of the hotel were available to comment on the project Thursday.

Wetumpka City Council member Steve Gantt says he’s noticed some hiccups with the project, but that the mayor  has the most information on the hotel.

“I’ve been told that there’s nothing wrong with the finances of getting it done,” he said, “it’s just the contractor is not, he just hasn’t been fulfilling his end the way he probably should.”

For more information on the Main Street Wetumpka program click here.