Demopolis Dream Center makes a step closer to reality with Demopolis City Council vote

The Demopolis Dream Center came a step closer to reality on Aug. 20 when the Demopolis City Council agreed to add $50,000 to its annual budget for the proposed children’s museum.

Dr. Brittany Anderson, Carolyn Moore and Suzanne Young told the Demopolis City Council that the museum can now accept tax-exempt donations, and the organization has received financial and in-kind support from several donors.

The city’s support will go toward annual operating expenses of the museum, which will eventually include an executive director.

Anderson said museum organizers are searching for a suitable downtown building to house exhibits donated from the former Children’s Hands-On Museum in Tuscaloosa. That museum closed because it is being replaced by the multimillion-dollar Saban Center, a STEM education center located just off Jack Warner Parkway in Tuscaloosa.

The council also approved a revised ordinance that they hope will encourage downtown development. The ordinance and enforcement procedures are designed to encourage property owners to keep up their buildings, which will in turn encourage developers to invest in downtown properties.

A proposal to limit mobile homes and manufactured homes in the center of Demopolis was referred to the Demopolis Planning Commission. The commission will send the proposal back to the council with their recommendations.

The owners of Foscue Place asked the city to consider extending a water line to serve their property and surrounding properties. Mayor Woody Collins said he would talk to ALDOT about getting a permit to place a water line beneath Highway 80 to tap into a large water line across the highway from the Foscue House project. Richey and Tiffany Naisbett are developing the Foscue House into a boutique hotel.

The council voted to refinance two loans totaling $10 million to Tombigbee Healthcare Authority in 2023. The council allowed the authority, which operates Whitfield Regional Hospital, to use the city’s line of credit to complete a renovation project. The council voted to move two warrants, a type of loan, to Robertson Bank at a lower interest rate.