Main Street Marion opens tech hub downtown

Main Street Marion cut the ribbon and officially opened the new Harris Technology hub in a ceremony Friday, May 23. 

Main Street Marion President Donald Bennett said it will be “a modern workforce development facility.”

Students will be able to use the facility to learn technological skills from digital banking to computer game design. Katrina Easley of the County Extension service, which is a partner, said they will provide assistance with business and economic development.

The computer hardware was installed by E-Footprints. Engineer Crosby Martin said the computers at the center are great for video and audio editing as well as gaming. He added they will be good for students to learn programming as well as working with video and audio.

Bennett said Innovate Alabama is a major partner. 

“We’re grateful to Innovate Alabama for supporting our efforts to provide an ideal space for training opportunities to our citizens,” Bennett said. “It’s essential to the growth of our city and to our workforce.”

The goal is to educate the children well, grow the local economy and make an environment where the next generation will want to stay and continue to grow the area, he added.

Other partners in the Harris Technology Hub are Marion Community Bank, Alabama Power, Tuskegee University, Alabama A&M and Auburn University.

The Harris Technology Hub got its name because it is in the old Nathan Harris Building on Washington Street in Marion. For 103 years, the Harris family ran a clothing business from that store. During the ceremony, Marion Mayor Dexter Hinton read a proclamation recognizing the Harris family for their contributions to Marion over the years. Jean Harris was present to accept the document.

There is a refreshment counter that will be in the building where students can get a hot coffee or a cold drink. Bennett said there will be some fun activities in the building too. 

“We can have food and watch the game,” he said. “Hopefully my wife (Donna) and I will have the pizza restaurant open by (football season) and we can have pizza and barbecue and watch the game and come together as a community.” The Bennetts are planning to add a pizza restaurant in a building they own across Washington Street. 

Bennett said it is important for the community to come together, and the Harris Technology Hub can be a place for the community to do just that. “We have to come together, we have to have fun together, we have to grow together, talk together and we have to teach our children how we come together.” He said that will help “anger and hate go away.”