The Downtown Development Authority of Blairsville hosted a Downtown Business Meeting on August 16, 2007 at the Historic Courthouse on the Square. Over 35 people attended the meeting including Blairsville Mayor Jim Conley, Union County Historical Society President Sam Ensley, and DDA board members.

Promotions Committee member Colleen Urbaniuk, DDA Project Manager Janet Hartman, Design Committee Chair Caroline Glenn, and Promotions Committee member Laura Ward headed up the meeting. Packets were given to each person in attendance and marketing opportunities were discussed in detail.

Each business owner was asked to fill out a form. Resulting data will be utilized during upcoming marketing and planning sessions. Examples of questions included, “Would you like to have a band at your business location during the SEBA Bluegrass Festival?” and “Can we publish your contact information in a directory?”

Many concerns were brought up at the meeting including traffic control and parking. These two topics are often at the top of the list whenever downtown improvements are discussed. As Mayor Conley pointed out, paving is underway and other traffic issues are currently being addressed.

Without promotion, design, and careful planning, small town charm can disappear. Businesses begin to look elsewhere to set up shop and everyone suffers in the long run. There are many people working on a daily basis to ensure that this never happens in Blairsville.

The ever popular Friday Evening Concert Series, the annual Mountain Marketplace Festival, the SEBA Bluegrass Festival, the world famous Sorghum Festival, the continuing tradition of Hometown Halloween, the new Farmer’s Market, and the monthly Cruise-In help keep our hometown prosperous and thriving. Public events like these help attract tourists and local folks to the downtown business area.

The DDA of Blairsville has a vision statement that reads as follows, “Our vision for the revitalization of Blairsville is an inviting and thriving downtown full of enthusiastic people in an appealing landscape of well-kept buildings, green space, sidewalks, and streets. We envision that the revitalized downtown will draw residents and visitors alike to the shops, restaurants, businesses, attractions, and special events at the heart of our mountain community.”