Attitude, not attractions, biggest challenge for downtown Albany

ALBANY — With assets like the Flint River, Thronateeska, the Municipal Auditorium and the RiverQuarium, new downtown manager Sharlene Cannon feels Albanians have plenty to be proud of — they just need to have a more positive attitude if things are going to improve in the downtown area.

Cannon, who has served as Albany’s Downtown Manager and CEO of the Albany-Dougherty Inner City Authority (ADICA) for the past five months, shared her thoughts about the future success of the community’s center with members of the Dougherty County Kiwanis Club.

“Albany has so much to be proud,” said Cannon who in the past has served at downtown manager in Thomasville, which continues to have success. “Thomasville would kill to have some of the things Albany has.”

One such thing that Cannon is thrilled the community has been embracing is the Flint River, which has increasingly become a focal point for downtown development.

“How many towns around here have a river running through it?” Cannon asked. “We just opened three new kayak and canoe launches downtown and by spring and summer will see a lot of activity. I think they will draw a lot of sports and outdoor people downtown.”

Another thing Albany should be proud of, Cannon said, was other attractions such as the Thronateeska Heritage Center, Theater Albany, and the Flint RiverQuarium. In her eyes Albany has plenty of things it can boast about, but for some reason people in Albany don’t seem to be very proud of their community.

“I can’t for the life of me figure out what that is,” Cannon said.

Cannon said when people travel to places like Thomasville and ask about the community, visitors are met with positive comments about the community, rather than negatives, which is the not the case, she’s learned in Albany.

“Honestly I’ve heard from people who are new in the community that they’ve gone into stores and other places and said ‘hello I’m new to Albany,’ people will say things like, ‘why did you come to a place like Albany?’” Cannon shared. “That’s not what this community needs to say about itself.”

Cannon, who grew up in Moultrie, said she remembers a time when Albany was a place that many in the area wanted to visit and reside. She said that one of the highlights of her childhood was loading up in the car with her parents and coming to Albany to shop, something that is at the crux of what ails the downtown area.

“The only thing downtown is lacking is a thriving business district,” Cannon said. “Downtown has wonderful public buildings and support, but it’s going to take private investment as well.”

She said that when she came to work at C&S Bank in Albany in the late 1960s, downtown Albany still had thriving businesses and it also seemed as though citizens had a sense of pride about the area that she doesn’t see from people anymore.

In her eyes the most important thing for Albany right now is having citizens who take pride in the downtown area and want to see things done in Albany. She added that those people also need to be willing to voice their ideas to government and business leaders. Cannon firmly believes that it is going to take a community-wide effort to affect change for downtown Albany.

“There’s no one person, believe me, who is going to change things,” she said. “It’s going to take the village.”

One way in which Cannon feels the downtown area can make a start is to figure out how to draw students from Albany State University, Darton State College and Albany Technical College into the downtown area. She said having those students in the community is a great advantage, and that the downtown area should work to attracts them.

“There could be a bookstore, a coffee shop, a laundromat, an Internet cafe,” said Cannon. “It should be a great place for students.”

Cannon said foot traffic generated by downtown residents would help, too. She feels that might be on the horizon once a project to turn the former Albany Heights building on Pine Avenue into an apartment complex is completed. In October, local businessman and developer Anthony King announced that he plans to renovate the building.

Another challenge facing downtown, Cannon said, is the perception that the area is not safe, something she believes is entirely untrue.

“Downtown is very safe,” said Cannon. “I spend a lot of time walking around downtown and I’ve never felt threatened or unsafe.”

Cannon said one way the city is helping to combat that perception is by having two Albany police officers “walking the beat” through downtown Albany.