Managing growth in an arts town

STORY BREANNA MANLEY & PHOTO BY BETSY ILER

Eclectic’s population is up by approximately 200 people, and Mayor Gary Davenport hopes to draw more to this artisit Southern town with upcoming improvements, ample employment opportunities and the town’s rich history. To accommodate the recent addition in residents and prepare for the possibility of more, plans are in the works to build new subdivisions, grow the town’s infrastructure and nearly double the population.

“We have the opportunity and proposals together to build three subdivisions, and those will equate to approximately 550 to 600 families,” Davenport explained.

Though Davenport and other city officials are excited about the possibility of more growth, they also hope to maintain the town’s atmosphere of Southern charm, which is evident in the abundance one-of-a-kind boutiques and shops that line Main Street.

“We want to still maintain the smalltown feel. Our target is to be somewhere in the 2,000-resident range within the next three years. We have a lot of what I call small, hometown businesses. We have three or four family stores that cater to female clothing and family clothing. We also have shops with household items and goods. It really keeps the town going,” Davenport said.

Along with exuding that smalltown charm through these hometown businesses, Eclectic also includes some major businesses and industries.

“We’ve got the Russell Do it Center, the bigger type businesses. We have D&R Kwik Stop, so it’s a stable growth. It’s the type of growth to where the people that travel to this area because of the lake have a place to go and shop and enjoy themselves. We see a lot of tourists come through here,” Davenport explained.

And Davenport said the town is wasting no time in moving forward. Plans already are in the works and soon to be set into motion.

“We are in the process of redoing our playground. We got a grant for it. We’re putting in all new playground equipment. While we’re doing that, we’re also improving the playground itself, as far as drainage and making it more user-friendly. In addition to that, we have a national concern business that is trying to come to town. We’ve been working with them for several years. They’ll employ about 50 people, so that will help, too,” Davenport said.

One of Eclectic’s biggest employers is located in the industrial park. Madix offers more than 65,000 steel, wire and wood products, and steady growth within the company is bringing even more job opportunities to Eclectic.

“Madix is doing very well. They have doubled the number of contracts they have now, so they are constantly looking for new employees. They will typically employ somewhere between 500 and 600 employees,” Davenport explained.

Along with improving the playground for area children and bringing new job opportunities to town, Eclectic will soon see new and improved roads throughout the city.

“The No. 1 thing that I believe the city has on its target list this year is to redo some road paving and parking lot paving. The city has contracted with the Elmore County Highway Department, and they have accepted and approved our proposal. Over the next 24 months or so, they’ll do six streets and our town parking lot,” Davenport said.

The town of Eclectic is also expanding sewer lines, which will benefit the upcoming construction of the new subdivisions.

“We are in the process of starting to expand our sewer line and our sewer plant. We will start work on it probably in the next three months. It will allow us to have at least one subdivision come in with sewer capability. That will equate to approximately 28 homes that will be on sewer. Around 25 will be new homes. We’re working on extending that later on down the road, probably a couple of years, to bring in an additional subdivision,” Davenport explained.

Davenport’s focus on the smalltown feel seems to be paying off. With growth steadily making its way into town limits, Eclectic could be the next hotspot.

“We’ve got everything along the family atmosphere, and that’s basically what we try to keep it at,” Davenport said.