The flood destroyed the Albany State University campus, drowned zoo animals and floated coffins out of gravesites and down the Flint River. FEMA came to the rescue and Albany seized the opportunity to mobilize efforts to revitalize economic and social conditions. At the same time, the City of Albany and Dougherty County were planning to fund several initiatives in the downtown area because of the need for additional space needed to house government offices. Community leaders founded an organization called Albany Tomorrow, Inc. to spearhead an effort to create a revitalization plan for Albany. The idea for the Plan began in the boardroom of the Albany Dougherty Inner-City Authority and is today known as the Albany Downtown Riverfront Master Plan.
Downtown remains the heart of Albany.
Returning a measure of prosperity to the City center means creating reasons for people to want to be downtown. It serves as a road map for creating a new mix of commercial, institutional and residential activities necessary to accomplish economic revitalization and development. For a full screen map of the Albany Tomorrow Project, click here. The goal of the Master Plan is to pack the center of the community with diverse activities and destinations that will be an irresistible draw for everyone in Albany, and in all likelihood, the entire Southwest Georgia region. The most important effects of the Master Plan will not be quantifiable.