Economic development organizations that helped bring St. James to Water Street seeks more opportunities in Selma, Marion

The economic development organization that helped bring the St. James Hotel to Water Street is looking for more opportunities in Selma and Marion.   

Opportunity Alabama (OPAL) is asking qualified property owners, developers, nonprofits or municipalities to apply for funds to revitalize historic districts in Selma and Marion. The first step is a letter of interest that will be reviewed by OPAL and an independent review panel. Letters of interest will be accepted until Nov. 15.   

“Grant funding is intended for brick-and-mortar projects that will create new economic activity and permanent jobs,” according to a statement from OPAL. “This funding will not be awarded to projects that have previously received grant funding from the National Park Service.”   

In Selma, the projects must be in the Old Town Historic District or the Water Avenue Historic District. Projects in Marion must be in the Marion Courthouse Square Historic District.   

OPAL will host hour-long information sessions in Selma on Sept. 7 and Sept. 27 at the Edmundite Missions Bullock Community center at 4:30 p.m. A session for Marion was held Sept. 6 at the Marion Military Institute Chapel. An online webinar will be held Oct. 3 at 10 a.m.  

The Selma and Marion Historic Revitalization Grant Program uses funds OPAL received in 2022 from the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program by the Historic Preservation Fund, which is administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior.  

OPAL has already helped Selma and Marion with downtown redevelopment projects. OPAL helped Rhaglan Hospitality CEO Jim Lewis come up with the capital to revitalize the St. James Hotel. Mainstreet Marion worked with OPAL to snag a $150,000 USDA grant to launch Small Business Loan Fund announced in August.   

OPAL has worked with the city of Selma to evaluate projects to develop the Adler Furniture Building and the Harmony Club on Water Avenue. Invictus Development, a woman-owned company with a history of successful development in the Southeast and in Selma, was the strongest partner, according to the OPAL website.  

“OPAL has helped the team secure CDFI investment in predevelopment financing and is now assisting the developer build the capital stack and develop the ecosystem of small business owners, nonprofits, and arts organizations that are essential to the success of these projects,” the website says.  

Opportunity Alabama, founded in 2018, is an economic development organization whose goal is “to improve economic resilience and quality of place for all of Alabama’s communities” by helping communities “leverage diverse funding sources for projects and initiatives that improve quality of place and re-energize local economies.”