ADDA Tackles the Renovation of the Small Alley
Everybody knows and loves “The Alley” in the heart of Downtown Aiken. It has become the center of our City, bringing together all generations to dine, mingle, socialize, and unwind. Like a main artery, it flows among the historic bones of our city and moves life and people through its circulation. The “pulse” of this artery is the ADDA (Aiken Downtown Development Association).
ADDA’s Design Committee took part in the planning and discussion of renovating The Alley Proper into The Alley that we all know and love today. A once narrow and dark road has been closed off from cars and opened up to opportunity and community gathering.
Haley Knight was promoted from ADDA’s Administrative Assistant to Executive Director last year. Although it had been several years since the completion of The Alley project, she was passionate about now shifting the Design Committee’s momentum to a project to reflect ADDA’s mission while also pointing out that the committee is continuing to making progress in the revitalization efforts of Aiken’s downtown. This capillary addition to the main artery of our City has become “The Small Alley Project.”
“The Small Alley” is the alley running from alongside Palmetto Package to a junction with The Alley right behind The Aiken Brewing Company. There is increased foot traffic through this alley for several reasons. Teague Parkway, the parkway on the east side of the Morgan Fountain, has new light fixtures that encourage parking on the south side of Park Avenue; there are several restaurants that line up on The Small Alley where both patrons and employees use the back doors to enter and exit, and there are simply more people in The Alley recognizing that there’s another place to cut through and get to all the excitement! In response, ADDA’s Design Committee has identified it as one of the areas needing a “face lift.”
“ADDA recognizes issues with cleanliness, safety, and appeal of this small alley that flows up to one of the City’s biggest assets. We hope that this project will create peer pressure amongst the restaurants and businesses that line alley to keep it clean,” said Haley.
The project started with the Design Committee’s vision plan that was presented to Design Review Board. It was approved, and a budget was presented to City Council for the improvements to The Small Alley. A budget of $15,000 from Hospitality Tax was granted to start the project. The Design Committee members are Betty Ryberg, Julie Whitesell, Aimee Rusch, Cindy Rudisill, Katy Lipscomb, Ellen Priest, Susan French, Diana Floyd, Christine Harmel, Katherine Slayton, Maggie Sacks, Ryan Bland, and Mary Catherine Lawton.
Elements of the capillary project include public art paintings by local artist Betsy Wilson Mahoney, benches, cigarette butt and trash receptacles, string lighting, privacy screening, and other lighting features that head towards the Brew Pub.
In an article titled “Why Public Art Matters,” Ms. Patricia Walsh stated, “Art in public spaces plays a distinguishing role in our country’s history and culture. It reflects and reveals our society, enhances meaning in our civic spaces, and adds uniqueness to our communities. Public art humanizes the built environment. It provides an intersection between past, present, and future; between disciplines and ideas. Public art matters because our communities gain cultural, social, and economic value through public art.” These contribute to economic growth and sustainability, attachment and cultural identity, artists as contributors, social cohesion and cultural understanding, and public health and belonging.
Early on a Saturday morning in March, work began when volunteers came to help with the initial cleanup. The volunteers included students from high schools and City Councilwoman Gail Diggs. “Eric Brinkley (ADDA Board Member) has been a huge help in implementing the project. He figured out the lighting situation and came after work to engineer the plan and hang up the string lights. The evening the string lights were installed, an employee from Betsy’s ‘Round the Corner was walking out after her shift and told us how happy she was that we had lights in the small alley now. She now feels safe to park on Park Avenue and walk through the back after her shift. The lighting provides safety and aesthetic ambiance,” said Haley.
The Small Alley project began in April 2019. ADDA projects July 2019 as the completion date. Stay tuned for announcements on the unveiling of the final product and the new Small Alley name this summer.
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