WELCOME

Toccoa comes from the Cherokee for “beautiful.” Our quaint city, located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the heart of Northeast Georgia certainly embodies that; and there is no better evidence of Toccoa’s beauty than its historic downtown.

Walking the streets of Downtown Toccoa is not entirely unlike stepping into the past. Bells softly ring as you step into our unique specialty shops. Brick pavers line the sidewalks. Lights twinkle on our tree-lined Doyle Street. Facades are beautifully restored. Oh, and parking is free! Downtown Toccoa is picturesque – and for good reason. We are proudly certified as a Georgia Exceptional Main Street (GEMS) community, the highest and rarest designation awarded in the State of Georgia.

All of this is due to Toccoa’s award-winning revitalization and restoration projects. When you step into Downtown Toccoa, you step into a National Register of Historic Places District.

The cornerstone of Downtown Toccoa is the Historic Ritz Theatre. Also located on the National Register of Historic Places, the Ritz features weekly concerts, movies, performances, and more.

Take a look at our Night at the Ritz feature to see a line-up of our special acts. We’re proud to say that the revitalization work at the Ritz has been recognized: The Ritz is the winner of the 2017 Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, the nation’s largest statewide non-profit preservation organization.

Come and see what the buzz is about. We can’t wait for you to visit Historic Downtown Toccoa. There’s something for everyone here.

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WELCOME

WELCOME TO DOWNTOWN TOCCOA

DDA Chair, Mr. Clint Sanders

As Chairman of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), I am proud and honored to lead the efforts in continual improvement in quality of life in Downtown Toccoa. The DDA guides Main Street Toccoa in the implementation of goals set forth by the Toccoa City Commission. Made up of seven downtown businesses and property owners, the DDA works hard to represent the community’s interest downtown.

As part of our efforts, we oversee a competitive façade grant program that has contributed to the overall beautification efforts downtown. I’m also proud to say that we have been designated a 2018 PlanFirst and 2018 Rural Zone Community, one of the first 9 in the State of Georgia. These programs allow us to provide special tax credits to downtown business and property owners.

Downtown Toccoa showcases the charm and hospitality of our beautiful city. Enjoy your visit downtown, and we hope you’ll come back to visit us.

WELCOME TO MAIN STREET

Main Street Manager, Christian Hamilton

When one thinks of “Main Street,” imagery typically includes scenic storefront-lined streets, families walking, unique shops, and more. The hustle and bustle of a city can best be seen in a concentrated Main Street District. Downtown Toccoa is no different. Here at Main Street Toccoa, we focus on continued business recruitment and retention in Downtown Toccoa through a targeted effort focused on design, organization, promotions, and economic development. We are working with the DDA this year to implement several things downtown. These include:

• The complete restoration work of the Ritz Theatre balcony, to be concluded by January 2019.

• Installation of Phase II of our Downtown Wayfinding Signage, to be concluded by June 2019.

• Continued recruitment of new business for downtown and the promotion of existing businesses.

As Chairman Sanders stated above, we are excited about our new PlanFirst and Rural Zone designations. As one of few communities with both of these designations, you can be confident that Downtown Toccoa is not only a great place to locate your business, it’s simply a great place to be!

STAFF: CHRISTIAN HAMILTON, SHARON CROSBY, CONNIE TABOR, DANITA GAUDETTE, VICKY KING, BRADLEY JORDAN