YOUR SOURCE OF NEWS IN SELMA AND DALLAS COUNTY, ALABAMA May 2, 2019 | Volume 4, Issue 14
www.selmasun.com
50 ¢
Enticing investors to Selma’s hot opportunities Waterfront land is in the zone of new incentive program BY FRED GUARINO
Special to the Selma Sun A new economic development “carrot” is being dangled over investors that could lead to major redevelopment of downtown Selma. It’s called the Opportunity Zone, and within its borders, investors receive federal tax incentives on funds invested – and capital gains realized – from improvements made in the zone. The new zone has already attracted one investor – Jim Lewis, who is renovating the St. James Hotel. And the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information hopes to attract more. Last week, they hosted an information session for about 30 investors and others at the Selma-Dallas County Public Library. The speaker was Alex Flachsbart, president and CEO of Opportunity Alabama, an organization that works with communities to take advantage of the zone. For Selma, the main leverage for its Opportunity Zone status is name recognition. “There are very few cities that command the name recog-
nition that Selma commands,” Flachsbart said. “Most importantly, I want us to walk away with a sense of empowerment around how this tool can be leveraged to grow Selma over the course of the next decade.”
AN EDUCATION IN OPPORTUNITIES IN SELMA The Selma and Dallas County Chamber hosted the information session last week for potential investors and others to “explore how the tool may be used to finance active businesses and real estate investment in our community’s Opportunity Zones and how that investment might benefit developers, business owners, and our community,” said Chamber Executive Director Sheryl Smedley. Smedley told the Selma Sun that among those in attendance were realtors, elected officials, property owners, attorneys, Property along the Alabama River on Water Avenue are among those included in the Opportunity Zone to encourage and incentivize redevelopbusiness owners, developers ment. Photo by Cindy Fisher and utilities representatives. Flachsbart said the best the zone and have been bought of investor probably the most is called Opportunity Alabama Flaschbart, who is based willing to take some degree of (OPAL), www.opportunityala- part about the program is “it after 2017. in Birmingham, is the first In answer to a question risk on investments because puts eyeballs onto projects that bama.com. to start a statewide nonprof“It will serve as the cata- would never otherwise get eye- from former Selma Mayor they care about a place. Impact it educational organization lyst for bringing investors, balls. It takes whole classes George Evans, Flachsbart con- investors are investors who to share information about projects, communities and of investors who would never firmed the St. James Hotel is in want to make money, but also Opportunity Zones. His firm key institutional support- normally look at these kinds of the Opportunity Zone. And, he want to create good jobs, new ers together to generate real assets and put their eyes on it.” said, “For any projects around tax revenues and some kind of And, he said, it makes proj- the St. James, the fact the St. social benefit. returns while improving ecoCensus Tract 9565, Dallas County, Alabama Qualified Opportunity Zone nomic vitality and quality of ects happen that wouldn't oth- James is happening is the best erwise happen. “That's the thing you could possibly ask ZONE BRINGS life," Smedley said. COMMUNITY INVESTORS for.” purpose of this program.” While Flachsbart said non- TOGETHER “Right now, where we see SELMA’S OPTIONS Nearly 30 people attendThe state of Alabama the most investor interest is profits could not use the prosets an Opportunity Zone in in affordable housing ... stuff gram directly, he said the pro- ed the April 23 workshop. every county based on census that’s part of city-based revital- gram could be used as a tool Among those in attendance 9565 tracts. The Opportunity Zone ization plans,” he said. There to finance buildings for non- were Jennifer Pemberton with Alabama Power; Susan in Dallas County is in Selma. are hospitality-related projects profits. He also said partnering on Raymond with the Edmundite Flachsbart said when peo- and commercial. “I'm thinkple think about Selma, they ing about downtown revitaliza- a building and sectioning it off Missions; Jim Lewis, new think of the Edmund Pettus tion. I'm thinking about stuff into an incubator for 20 busi- owner of the St. James Hotel; Bridge. And he pointed out on the waterfront. I'm think- nesses could be “a cool local Martha Lockett of the Selma Redevelopment Authority; that Selma's Opportunity Zone ing about businesses going in strategy.” Flachsbart said people Joyce Harris, a real estate broincludes the east side of Broad those places,” Flachsbart said. He noted that real estate who are investing because ker; and Smedley. Street, Water Avenue, the Alabama River and everything must be located in the zone and they want to make a differdoing business in and around ence locally are the category See HOT OPPORTUNITIES, Page 2 A map of Selma’s Opportunity Zone. Map submitted out to the bypass.
Cooking up careers Selma City Schools’ culinary program Bleu Diamond Academy grows with a new café, commercial kitchen and certified chef grads By Cindy Fisher Selma Sun Staff
Selma High School has stirred together ingredients they hope will make its culinary program the top in the state. Besides winning statewide cooking competitions every year, Selma City Schools recently invested in a new commercial kitchen lab that opened in November. Selma High culinary students will use the kitchen to serve dishes at their restaurant that will open to the public starting next school year. The Bleu Diamond Café will serve dishes using produce grown in Selma High School’s new garden, which is maintained and harvested by the agriculture class. “This program belongs to the community,” said Tiffany Moore, who teaches hospitality and tourism. “It is a way to shed light on Selma and pro-
vide new things for the community.” Moore plans to rent out space and the kitchen for weddings, banquets and other events, which will be a much-needed revenue source. The culinary program called Bleu Diamond Academy has grown so popular that the school system has agreed to split culinary from the hospitality and tourism pathway for its own full-course program starting this fall. Moore will select the students who will be part of the program. Selma chefs-in-training have been getting lessons on cooking from the best, including chefs from the Art Institute of Atlanta and the head chef at Alabama Power in Sylacauga. The program earned the attention of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, who is partnering with them for the first time. A group with the Extension System will be at Selma High School on May 3
to work with the students and teach them financial planning and show them how tourism effects the economy. The students also have the option to leave Selma High School with certification to work in the food industry, such as the ServSafe certification that several seniors recently earned. Selma High culinary students have proven they’re ready for an advanced culinary program. This year’s seniors won Junior Chef for the State of Alabama for the second year in a row with a recipe that is a twist on something from the school menu: chicken fajitas. The culinary team heads to regionals for the second year on May 8 -10 at Sullivan University in Kentucky, which specializes in culinary arts. The four students who win Junior Chef don’t just get a plaque for their wall. They each get $16,000 in scholarship funds. Moore is not allowed to help during the competition where
Selma City Schools Superintendent Avis Williams, center, leads the ribbon cutting for the new commercial kitchen in November. they make a dish in two hours, so she watches nervously from the crowd, or she leaves the room altogether. Moore has taught at Selma High School for 10 years, and with no kids at home, she said she considers the students her “babies.” Her goal is to prepare them
for a career in hospitality and tourism. Tourism students learn to give tours as ambassadors showing visitors around Selma High School. They also take trips to Old Cahawba Archeological Park and work internships at the Selma
Interpretive Center. Moore encourages the teens to volunteer at events like Robert Trent Jones Golf tournaments, and she hopes to score more internships for her students. Hotels require employees be 18 years old, and
Subscribe today at
www.selmasun.com
See COOKING UP, Page 2