| New year, new goals for city of Martin | | Posted: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 12:00 pm
| By BRAD GASKINS
News Editor
If this year is anything like 2012, then it’s going to be a good 12 months for the City of Martin, Mayor Randy Brundige said.
Brundige, first elected in 2002, said last year was a great one for Martin.
Highlights included a record attendance at the annual Soybean Festival, completion of the Spray Park fountains at City Hall and acceptance of a safe room grant to shelter citizens from severe weather.
The city was also approved to move forward with Phase IV of its downtown enhancement project. In this phase, the city will take down the current poles and install new lighting and new sidewalks from the red light at First Baptist Church to Lovelace Street.
The goal is to “shake it up and make it look a little better,” Brundige said. “It will just enhance our livability in the downtown area. That’s what these grants are about.”
Historic Downtown Martin was renovated several years ago during Phase I. It looked “just awful” before the makeover but has since become a bright spot for small businesses and visitors, he said.
“I get more compliments from everybody, as well as from out of town people, about how nice our downtown area looks now,” Brundige said.
He said he’s also looking forward to growing Martin’s business industry.
The Commons, located off Hawks Road, will open with Phase I of the new strip mall.
“We’re looking for other businesses to come in and fill that mall, as well as University Mall,” he said.
But that’s not all.
“We have some other projects I can’t talk about right now that will be coming up this year,” he said.
Asked to elaborate, he replied, “I just can’t talk about them, but they’ll be good.”
Published in The WCP 1.8.13 | | | | |
