What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you read, “Stone Mountain”? The park? Memorial Drive, sprawl, unincorporated DeKalb County? Well, in case you didn’t know it, there’s a city of Stone Mountain nestled right up against the back of the mountain, just out the west gate, a city with a great Main Street and downtown area we call Stone Mountain Village. But if you’ve been to the city lately, you might be surprised by what’s happened here in recent years. Stone Mountain has experienced a downturn that affected many towns in the ’70s as a result of malls, the advent of suburbs and changing socioeconomic reasons. Downtown areas became less and less shopping centers of necessity and instead began a period of decline. Although Stone Mountain’s proximity to the park, a tourist destination, delayed its descent for 30 years, it has followed a path similar to many other once vibrant downtown areas. The question is: What’s the city doing to reverse the trend?

About 10 years ago the Main Street Stone Mountain program – a private nonprofit organization established to revitalize downtown through historic preservation, economic restructuring and promotional events – was established in the city. Through the leadership of some incredible and dedicated volunteers, the program has made great strides to organize and position itself as a road map to long-term success. To further ensure that success, City Council established the Downtown Development Authority, a public/private partnership, to take on downtown projects that boost revitalization efforts.