MILLBROOK, June 3 — After nearly three hours of public comment and heated debate, the Millbrook City Council voted 6-2 Tuesday evening to approve a $4.2 million downtown revitalization package, the largest single investment in the city's urban core in over a decade. The plan, championed by Council President Darlene Okafor, targets a six-block stretch of Commerce Avenue that has seen a steady rise in vacant storefronts since 2020.
What's in the Plan
- $1.8 million for new sidewalks, lighting, and street furniture along Commerce Avenue
- $900,000 in small business façade improvement grants
- $1.1 million to renovate Central Plaza, including a new amphitheater stage
- $400,000 for a pilot free shuttle connecting downtown to the Millbrook Transit Hub
Opponents, including Councilmembers Ray Thibodeau and Gwen Solis, raised concerns about drawing too heavily from municipal reserves during an uncertain budget year. "We're betting big on a rebound that isn't guaranteed," Thibodeau said from the dais. But Okafor and supporters argued the window for federal matching funds would close by September, making Tuesday's vote effectively now-or-never. Construction is expected to begin in late August, with the full project slated for completion by spring of next year.
