MOULTRIE, Ga. – The City of Moultrie received the Outstanding Community Transformation/Downtown of the Year award as well as the Premier Special Event award at the 2022 Georgia Downtown Conference.

The conference was held at the Douglass Theater in Macon Wednesday, Aug. 24. 

“We’re very excited and proud to be chosen for the two awards,” Mayor William McIntosh said in an interview Friday. “The City of Moultrie was the only one who received two awards during the ceremony.”

Amy Johnson, the Downtown Economic Development and Public Relations director, shared the city’s steps to achieving the awards.

“We think the reason that we received the [Downtown of the Year] award is for all the transformation projects that have taken place over the last five years,” Johnson said in an interview Thursday.

The completed projects include Pocket Park, Mule Barn Park, the Covered Breezeway, Sportsman Park, South Main Parking Lot, the downtown speaker system, downtown WiFi and the latest downtown security camera system.

“We were able to do those projects because we have our elected officials, both city and county, understanding and believing that the Downtown is the central business district and the heart of the community,” Johnson said. “Downtown should be the heart of every community.”

McIntosh added, “We have great businesses out of Downtown Moultrie, but it’s important to keep up the heart and soul of the county. It’s the face of our community.” 

Johnson explained that the projects were completed in partnerships with several businesses and funded with money raised from Downtown Moultrie Tomorrow Incorporated, a charitable organization.

“We’ve had a lot of donations to Downtown Moultrie Tomorrow Incorporated, that has helped us do a lot of the projects that we have completed,” Johnson said.

Other factors also contributed to Downtown Moultrie’s growth such as new business openings that create more jobs, building acquisitions or renovations and incentives. 

Johnson said earning the award is just the beginning of the city’s work. 

“To us, this is just the beginning because we’re about to break ground on a transformation project on the theater block, that would include tying in parking and more pedestrian walkable areas to connect parking with businesses and restaurants,” she explained. “It will add lighting, be safer, and be more appealing.”

Three new restaurants will be opening soon in the Downtown area including Dalton’s Downtown, Baba’s The Gathering Place and West Coast Vegan Grill.

“With just those three restaurants, you’re probably looking at 50 [newly created] jobs,” Johnson said. 

The City of Moultrie also received the Premier Special Event award for its “Lights! Lights! Thanksgiving Night!” event.

The “Lights! Lights! Thanksgiving Night!” event kicks off the Christmas season with a visit from Santa Claus and the lighting of the Canopy of Lights.

McIntosh said the event brings people together and is like a family reunion in the city. 

Caroline Barber, the executive director of the Moultrie Convention and Visitors Bureau, said guests travel from out of state to experience the event. 

“They come from states away because they know and they want to [it] experience again. Out of all the events in town, that is the one that [they] never want to miss,” Barber said. 

City council officials and department heads were also present during the ceremony. 

Councilmember Margaret J. Mathis of District 1, Post 2 is proud of Moultrie’s accomplishments and thankful to all Moultrie officials and department heads for their hard work including McIntosh, Johnson and City Manager Pete Dillard. 

“This award goes to the people of Moultrie, and they should be proud of the city’s accomplishment,” she said. “Our purpose is for the people of Moultrie, and I’m proud to be a part of it. 

Johnson concluded, “We’ve gotten to the point where we are now because we have had buy-in [support] from the community, the citizens, the city council and the county commission, our downtown merchants that have very active Merchants Association, our Downtown Development Authority and Downtown Moultrie Tomorrow Incorporated.”

McIntosh said the City of Moultrie is very fortunate to have people who think it’s important to keep up the downtown and who contribute to Moultrie’s success.