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With grant award, Hapeville aims to boost historic downtown appeal Josh Green Fri, 06/28/2024 - 10:27 Hapeville’s longstanding mission to establish itself as a more vibrant southside artists’ mecca is getting a boost from a national placemaking initiative.

The south ITP city of 6,600 residents known for its airport proximity, vibrant downtown, and abundance of Porsches was one of five recipients recently picked for the GM on Main Street Grant. The awards go to nonprofits and municipal government entities near General Motors facilities that are aiming to implement innovative placemaking ideas in their local districts.

According to Nikki Cales, Hapeville’s Main Street and grants coordinator, the city has received $50,000 from GM and Main Street America, a national program dedicated to uplifting older and historic downtowns and commercial districts.

Hapeville’s project consists of the fabrication and installation of two sculpted, metal and neon signs that harken back to the city’s past and early 1900s buildings, while also providing wayfinding and “color, excitement, and whimsy,” per program leaders.

Pedestrian-level view of Arts District placemaking signage planned at 748 Virginia Ave. Courtesy of Hapeville Main Street

According to Cales, one sign will be installed at 748 Virginia Ave. in front of the recently reimagined former gas station that’s now Atlanta Printmakers Studio. “The arts district sign … will honor the style of the building while also creating a new visual focal point at a major downtown intersection,” reads the program’s description.

The second installation will be an “Arts Alley” sign at the entrance to Hapeville’s Arts Alley from Dearborn Plaza. That alleyway behind historic downtown buildings—formerly blighted and rarely used—has been remade over the past decade into an artsy focal point of the city.

One entrance and plaza at Hapeville’s Arts Alley. Google Maps

Courtesy of Hapeville Main Street

The grant program favored applicants whose ideas were focused on placemaking with an emphasis on pedestrian safety, inclusion, and scalability for other Main Street initiatives.

Other cities to receive $50,000 grants in 2024 include Bowling Green, Ky., Columbia, Tenn., and both Holly and Pontiac in Michigan.

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