Activate Selma submits application for HGTV’s ‘Home Town Takeover’

Submitted by Cindy Brookshire | Photo by Johnston County Visitors Bureau

Could Selma be the focus of an upcoming HGTV show? Producers of “Home Town Takeover,” a proposed 2021 series with Ben and Erin Napier, are inviting towns across the U.S. to apply. The couple currently hosts “Home Town,” a series now in its fourth season.

Applicants must have a population less than 40,000, homes featuring great architecture waiting to be revealed and a main street that needs a facelift.

Selma fits the bill with 7,000 residents, 270 town-wide properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Raiford Street, home of the Rudy Theatre, which brought 26,000 visitors to the entertainment venue in 2019. Currently, Raiford Street offers no restaurants for patrons awaiting show times and only a handful of shops — the rest are vacant storefronts awaiting redevelopment.

The HGTV application was submitted Feb. 6 by Activate Selma, a grassroots group of business owners, entrepreneurs, volunteers, residents and friends who have a heart for Selma. Patterned after 1MillionCups.com, they meet every Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Selma Public Library to spark creative problem solving and push through broken record stories of the town’s past. The application is their first group project.

“I knew when I first saw HGTV’s application that Selma would be a perfect fit,” said Selma realtor Allyson Caison, who brought the idea to the group. “We have it all: small town charm, lots of architecturally interesting properties and a perfect location for growth. I am super excited about Selma’s application to HGTV ‘Home Town Takeover.’ I think we have a good chance of being chosen.”

The group produced a six-minute video, written by Selma Parks and Recreation’s Melissa Dooley and shot and edited by Pastor Todd Daniels of Selma Baptist Church. Selma Museum volunteer Cindy Brookshire created the written narrative, and the group chose five photos of uptown properties in need of HGTV’s “love”: a church, a train station, a filling station and two residential homes.

Selma Planning and Economic Development Director Randy Cahoon- Tingle helped the group focus on three points: Selma is recovering from the past, Selma is well-placed for smart growth, and Selma has a dedicated and active community that needs a helping hand up.

The video can be seen at bit.ly/2uVU2cS.

“I am so proud of our Activate Selma team for all their effort in pulling together our application for an HGTV Takeover,” said Selma Mayor Cheryl Oliver. “This is a special group taking steps to lead a special town forward. Within two weeks, they pooled their talents and produced a quality product. Whether or not HGTV declares our submission a winner, this effort has already been a win for Selma. It has created a positive spin about our town and encouraged citizens and businesses to focus on our potential as well as what they can do to help Selma shine.”

For more information, contact: call Allyson Caison at 919-961-4130 or email her at allyson.caison@yahoo.com or call Cindy Brookshire at 919-202-5990 or email her at brookshire1014@verizon.net.