Map showing the location of hot- and coldspots in Atmore
We also prepared a hotspot analysis for Atmore to show workshop attendees where high- and low-value properties are clustered within the city. The analysis (left) shows that the most valuable properties in the city—averaging $12,000 per acre—are located downtown. By contrast, the value of an acre in Rivercane is only $1,200. The hotspots in downtown also contain nearly three times as much total value as those in Rivercane, $19.2 million vs. $6.6 million). Based on the interviews, the workshop, and our independent analyses, we recommended that Atmore build upon the downtown’s existing residential, commercial, and institutional assets, reserving Rivercane for those types of land uses—such as heavy industrial, which fits with the original intent for the area—that don’t make great neighbors. Downtown has a number of buildings ripe for redevelopment, including a historic movie theater. By preserving and redeveloping vacant buildings and focusing on downtown placemaking, Atmore can create a healthy heart that will pay dividends into the future.