Mainstreet Toccoa Awarded Rural Business Development Grant

Main Street Toccoa was recently awarded a $50,000 Rural Business Development Grant by the USDA for infrastructure upgrades at the Historic Ritz Theatre.

Community Development Specialist Christian Hamilton said this grant is generally used to fund rural economic development projects.

“What we’re going to be using this grant for is to complete the balcony at the Historic Ritz Theatre as well as the plaza, which still needs some work done to it, and some dressing room upgrades,” said Hamilton.

According to Hamilton, the grant is a matching grant. When applying for the grant, the Community Development Department went before the City Commission to guarantee that they would match funds for these improvements, coming from their general fund.

Over the past three years, the Ritz Theatre has undergone intense renovation. Hamilton said these renovations meet some of the city’s 2017 goals.

“The City of Toccoa has made it a 2017 goal to complete the renovation work at the Ritz Theatre,” said Hamilton. “So not only does this support that 2017 goal, but it supports a plan we’ve been following over the past four or so years, step by step to complete the renovation work. Finally we’re at the last section. It’s a wonderful opportunity and we are very honored that we’ve received this grant.”

Hamilton said that renovating the Ritz Theatre is important for economic development in downtown Toccoa.

“The Ritz Theatre right now holds 362 seats,” said Hamilton. “In 2015, we had 62 shows and maybe 9,000 people that attended shows and in 2016, we had 123 shows and almost 20,000 people attend the Ritz Theatre so the number of shows has doubled in just a year and attendance has tripled in just a year. The Ritz Theatre is quickly becoming an economic anchor of downtown Toccoa. To complete the renovations will allow more people to come downtown and expand the operation of the Ritz.”

For more information about the RBDG grant, contact Christian Hamilton at 706.898.5777