City Council Approves $12M Downtown Revitalization Package in Split Vote

MILLBROOK, June 4 — The Millbrook City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday evening to approve a sweeping $12 million downtown revitalization package, one of the largest single investments in the city's urban core in more than a decade. The plan, championed by Mayor Renata Hollis and District 3 Councilmember James Osei, includes new streetscaping along the Central Avenue corridor, a storefront facade improvement grant program for small businesses, and the long-debated demolition of the aging Fourth Street Parking Garage, which will be replaced with a mixed-use development including affordable housing units.

Who Voted Which Way

Council members Patricia Vance and Dale Grimmett cast the dissenting votes, with Vance citing concerns about the demolition of the parking structure before a replacement parking solution is finalized. "We are asking downtown business owners to take a leap of faith that visitors will still find their way here," Vance said from the dais. Grimmett raised objections about the funding mechanism, which draws partially from a tax increment financing district set up in 2019. Supporters argued the package is long overdue and that the city risks losing ground to neighboring communities that have made similar investments.

• Construction on streetscaping is expected to begin in late August
• Facade improvement grants of up to $25,000 per business will open for applications in July
• The parking garage demolition is tentatively scheduled for Q1 of next year
• A community input session on the mixed-use replacement development is planned for late June

Mayor Hollis called the vote "a turning point for the heart of our city" and said her office would hold a public celebration event once construction timelines are confirmed. Opponents have not ruled out a petition drive to force a public referendum on the parking garage portion of the plan, though they would face a tight timeline to gather the required signatures under Millbrook's city charter.