In July, the city of Pell City celebrated the installation of 20 black, cast-iron benches and 11 matching litter containers along Cogswell Ave. — the final piece of a years-long Downtown Improvement Project.
These new, modern benches were made possible through a contribution from the Rotary club of Pell City. They join other significant improvements installed along Cogswell Ave., Comer Ave. and 19th Street including new sidewalks and curbs, planters and streetlights.
Rotary Past-President Serge Brazzolotto, who led the club from July 2023 through June 2024, initially saw the value of transforming the city’s historic downtown into a more vibrant and walkable space. He spearheaded the club’s involvement.
“It was Rotary’s goal to provide the people of Pell City with something that enhanced their experience downtown,” Brazzolotto said. “These benches will be used daily, and our club is proud to help improve our community in such a meaningful way.”
Total cost of the benches and litter containers was approximately $40,000. Rotary committed to assisting the city with the expense by contributing half the cost — more than $20,000.
This contribution is part of the Rotary Club of Pell City’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. The club, founded in 1974, marked a half century of community service this year, and each bench is branded with a badge that recognizes the club’s decades of “Service Above Self.”
“Rotary sends a tremendous thanks to the city for the vision and effort that went into improving our downtown,” Rotary President Kelly Furgerson said. “We’re excited to celebrate our 50th anniversary alongside this major accomplishment.”
The city of Pell City’s Downtown Streetscape Improvement Project dates to June 2020, when the city applied for an Alabama Department of Transportation TAP Grant, which stands for “Transportation Alternatives Program.”
The grant request was for $640,000 to remedy ADA non-compliant sidewalks in the downtown area. The city provided local matching funds of approximately $500,000, including landscaping and lighting costs, as well as engineering and inspection fees.
In August 2023, the city awarded a bid for construction to Taylor Corporation of Oxford for approximately $830,000. Taylor Corp. completed their portion of the project in June.
Installation of the Rotary benches was the final piece. They were installed in July by the Pell City Street Department under the supervision of Greg Gossett and Blake Nixon.
“We are grateful to ALDOT for recognizing this need and helping us transform downtown Pell City,” Muenger said. “Punctuating it with a gift of this scale from Rotary is what truly makes this a community project, and one that we hope residents will appreciate for years to come.”
For more on the Rotary club of Pell City, visit pellcityrotary.org.