Main Street Atmore Member Program Incentives

Established in 2021, First Thursday Late Shopping is a Main Street staple retail event. It is an invited-hours promotion where regular customers of downtown businesses can shop from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Before First Thursday, shops typically only extended their hours during the Christmas season. The retail events are not just about shopping, they are about experiencing various activities. Each event is themed and may include scavenger hunts, prizes, and great discounts, promising an exciting and intriguing experience. 

The true essence of a 1st Thursday lies in the strong community spirit it fosters. Shop owners actively encourage their customers to visit other downtown shops open during the after-hours event, creating a sense of connection and camaraderie. Our success is measured by the number of retail shops participating and the significant increase in foot traffic. An impressive 90% of our retail locations participate each 1st Thursday, strengthening our community bond. 

Established in 2023, our Start Making Opportunities a Reality Entrepreneurs campaign is a free entrepreneurial program. Our Start M.O.R.E. program, inspired by the successful model of Main Street Monroeville's Business Understand and Opportunities for Youth (B.O.U.Y.), is a beacon of hope and inspiration to aspiring business owners. This inclusive program is tailored for entrepreneurs, from high school sophomores to individuals of any age, ensuring everyone can benefit regardless of age or experience. Main Street Atmore launched its Entrepreneur Program in August 2023 to replicate this success. Start M.O.R.E. is a program designed to help entrepreneurs with strategic business plans, assumptions, marketing, taxes, certification (tailored to participants), mentoring, staff recruitment and training, succession planning, self-investment, and how to pitch a startup business successfully.

Atmore Main Street Economic Vitality Committee and Mrs. Yolanda Johnson, with the Small Business Development Center of Alabama (S.B.D.C.), the goal is to build a robust ecosystem for entrepreneurs by providing business education and resources that can help take their business concept from an idea to a viable business. By supporting this program, community members can contribute to the growth and prosperity of our local economy. We offer a 9-month program with a pitch competition and prizes (participants must be between 16 and 21 years of age to qualify) and a work-at-your-own-pace program available to any participant with at least 16 years of age. This program can include in-person classes and offers some prizes and grant programs.

10% TAX CREDIT

Preservation tax incentives are a credit that can be taken on your federal income tax amounting to 10% of the cost of the work to renovate historic buildings. www.nps.gov (Choose "Links to Past" and then "Grants & Assistance")

The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program includes a 20% income tax credit for the rehabilitation of historic, income-producing buildings

25% TAX CREDIT

The 2017 Alabama Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit is a 25% refundable tax credit available for private homeowners and owners of commercial properties who substantially rehabilitate historic properties that are listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and are 60 years old or older. The tax credit provides jobs, increases the tax base, and revitalizes existing buildings and infrastructure, while preserving and rehabilitating Alabama's historic properties.

50% DISABLED ACCESS TAX CREDIT

A tax credit for eligible small businesses that incur expenses to provide access to persons with disabilities. The expenses must be to enable the small business to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. www.irs.gov (Form 8826-IRS)

PROPERTY TAX REDUCTIONS FOR INCOME

Producing Historic Buildings: The Wallace Property Relief Constitutional Amendment allows commercial, rental or industrial property to be assessed at the residential rate if the property is deemed historical. This equals a 50% property tax reduction.