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The city of Bainbridge recently received a milestone achievement, receiving the 2024 Downtown of the Year Award at this year’s Georgia Downtown Association Annual Conference. Members of the local government, including the Bainbridge City Council and Downtown Development Authority, were present at the conference in Thomasville to receive the award. An official statement posted to the city’s Facebook read, “This incredible achievement is a testament to the hard work, vision, dedication, and passion of so many. A heartfelt thank you to our Mayor and City Council, the Downtown Development Authority Board members, and every business owner who has poured their heart and soul into making Downtown Bainbridge the vibrant and thriving place it is today.”

Darrell Cox, Chairman of the Downtown Development Authority board, recalled how skeptical he and other board members were several years ago, when they were presented with the master plan for downtown.

“Most of us came on board in the last 10 years,” he said. “We were all in place to watch it happen.”

Cox described downtown’s growth as a group effort, thanking the Bainbridge City Council for its support. He also gave credit to Danny Bivins, who helped establish the downtown master plan, as well as Amanda Glover, director of the Downtown Development Authority.

Glover said she was “very honored and humbled” to receive this recognition.

“This award belongs to everyone who has played a role in making Bainbridge the vibrant, welcoming, and thriving downtown that it is today,” she said. “From our local business owners, who have worked tirelessly to create unique and inviting spaces, to our city leadership and officials, who have ensured that growth and development are in harmony with our town’s rich heritage and natural beauty. To the residents who show unwavering support for local enterprises, and to the visitors who return time and again, captivated by the charm and character of Bainbridge.”

Glover has been with the DDA since 1999. The current flourishing state of downtown was not a sudden thing, or an accident, she said, but the result of gradual work.

“There’s been incremental changes over the years,” she said. The crux of the recent changes and development came in 2014, with the development of a Renaissance Strategic Visioning and Planning plan, in collaboration with UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute. Glover said that in just a few years between 2014 and 2017, the city was able to accomplish much of the plan, updating it in 2019.

There were challenges, notably Hurricane Michael and the COVID pandemic, but Glover said that despite delays, nothing derailed their vision. In fact, she said the pandemic may have helped, as the lockdowns made people more anxious to get out and explore other communities, which led many to downtown Bainbridge.

“This recognition is also a call to action. It challenges us to continue our commitment to preserving what makes Bainbridge special, while also looking forward with vision and purpose,” Glover continued. “Thank you to everyone who has made this possible—our citizens, our business owners, our local government, and every person who calls Bainbridge home. You are the heart and soul of this town, and it is your dedication that has brought us to this proud day.”