INTRODUCTION TO BUENA VISTA

Surrounded by farms and woodland, Buena Vista lies at the heart of Marion County. Located at the crossroads of Georgia State Highways 41 and 26, Buena Vista is the traditional commercial hub of Marion County and the surrounding area. Marion County is named for Revolutionary War hero General Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion, and Buena Vista was named in honor of US President Zachary Taylor’s victory in the Mexican War (1846-48).1

Buena Vista’s position along important state routes makes the city a convenient stop for travelers. Tourists and residents alike may enjoy a stay at the Town House Bed and Breakfast, enjoy a great meal at Annie D’s or the Coffee Club, or tour the incredible Swamp Fox Distillery on the town square. Buena Vista also hosts many historic sites, including the Marion County Courthouse at the center of town. Surrounding the courthouse, visitors can view a number of beautiful historic storefronts, including Marion Drugs and the Charles M. Clements Building. Marion Drugs’ 7-Up mural (painted by Jimmy Bush in 1946

1https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/marion-county/

and repainted in 1992 by Signs by Norm of Dallas, Texas) and CocaCola sign are reminders of 1930-40s town life. The Clements Building is home to a Coca-Cola mural and now serves as home to the Fox Hall event venue. Continuing along Broad Street, visitors can also admire the 1858 Buena Vista United Methodist Church. Over the last few decades, Buena Vista has witnessed a declining population and economic setbacks, including the loss of major employer Tyson Foods. Despite these challenges, local elected and business leaders are investing in a revival of downtown Buena Vista. According to Mayor Kevin Brown, “[The closure of the Tyson Foods plant] pushed us to start focusing on tourism and trying to bring a transient population into the community to shop at our mom-and-pop shops and leave revenue with our small business community.” Buena Vista is prioritizing improvements to the city’s courthouse square to help create the vibrant downtown and healthy local economy envisioned by local leaders. Following the approval of a regional $665 million TSPLOST proposal, Buena Vista is poised to invest over $2 million in local proceeds to improve infrastructure around the courthouse square. As shown in the designs in this document, local

elected and business leaders envision an active and attractive downtown streetscape, with new sidewalks, street trees, relocated utility lines, and other elements welcoming visitors downtown. Many of the businesses surrounding the antebellum-era courthouse are also committed to façade restorations and updates to better represent the businesses they house and more effectively serve patrons. Additional proposals include a new community park located one block south of the courthouse square at the corner of 7th Avenue and Church Street. An abandoned rail corridor along the southern end of this site could become part of a future regional rail-trail initiative. The design concepts in this report provide a “tool we're going to use to bring in a number of different agencies...[to] start looking for funding for the different things that we’re trying to do,” said Buena Vista Mayor Kevin Brown.