Wills Point Named Main Street City

The city of Wills Point received the designation of a Texas Main Street City Friday afternoon, according to city Mayor Scott McGriff.

"This is obviously a great thing for our city," McGriff said of the announcement. "There are a lot of towns that fill out the application, but it often takes several tries to receive the certification. For Wills Point to get it on the first try says a lot about our town.

"We have a lot of assets here, and that was recognized by the selection committee."

The city will now hire a Main Street Director and appoint a 12-member board of directors, according to city manager Jim Stephens.

"I anticipate that we would hire a director in December," Stephens said. "There is training held in January, both for the board and the director, and we certainly want them in place for that."

The Texas Main Street program has as its’ goal, the revitalization and preservation of historic downtowns, as well as equipping businesses to occupy the buildings. The program will send a resource team to Wills Point and offer short-and long-term recommendations for rehabilitating buildings, attracting new business and promoting tourism.

Stephens, who has been associated with the program since 1986, has seen the benefits first hand. He served on the board in Lufkin, and was the director of Canton’s program for nine years.

"We saw the Lufkin downtown developed from birds and bats to a beautiful, viable downtown," Stephens said. "Many businesses had moved out of downtown to malls, and those buildings were empty for 10 or 15 years. Some of them were in such bad shape, that the owners gave them to the city. Today, the Lufkin downtown is a successful place to do business.

"I also think the program was a lifesaver for Canton’s downtown."

"The first year, you don’t see a lot of tangible change or benefit," Stephens continued. "It’s in the second year, or after that you begin to see the benefit, but it’s important to keep your downtown healthy. If the downtown is healthy, other areas will develop around it."

Mayor McGriff said that the benefit of a successful program would reach beyond the business owners.

"We look forward to the continued revitalization of our downtown area," he said. "We think it will be helpful to our businesses, and by extension, helpful to all of our citizens."