WRIGHTSVILLE, Ga. — The city of Wrightsville just brought a new program called the Revitalizing Underdeveloped Rural Areas Legislation - otherwise known as RURAL Zone - in order to bring more businesses to Wrightsville.
This initiative, alongside dropping construction fees, is aimed to help bring more people and businesses to Wrightsville, the city says.
“The city voted recently to waive the permits for construction fees for anything that is related to an older building that will be restored so we are hoping that is another incentive to draw people in,” Mayor Jani Beth Outlaw says.
Outlaw says she is excited to see her city grow.
“I have children here. My husband and I have four children and we love raising them in a small community ... We are all helping create a great place to live and raise a family,” Outlaw says.
Hugh Darnley is the director of Mainstreet Wrightsville. He says he wants to see this city grow.
Darnley says the way to do this is to go back to the basics to find what will make more businesses come.
“How was Wrightsville originally built? It wasn’t built on permits and fees, it was built on entrepreneurs coming here with a dream and help building their business,” Darnley says.
Justin Ragan is an entrepreneur. He says he opened his dentist practice in downtown Wrightsville eight years ago.
He said he ignored the people who said he was crazy to do business in Wrightsville. He says now his business is thriving and he is the only dentist in town.
“This town is home to me. This town has been great to my family, my kids. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” he says.
Ragan says she hopes more people will make the town home.
He says Wrightsville can become a booming town again.
“My hope for Wrightsville is that in 10 years, it will look nothing like this here but will be different,” Ragan says.