Organization, effort and support goes a long way — but legal alcohol sales definitely help the cause.

That’s the message from some surrounding cities with burgeoning downtown districts, as local groups work to revitalize downtown Cullman in the coming years. A legal sales referendum was approved late last year, and sales are expected to begin in the coming weeks.

Trisha Black, with the downtown merchants group Spirit of Athens, said alcohol sales were the perfect catalyst to kick start downtown growth in the City of Athens. Athens is comparable in size to Cullman, with a population of around  20,000 (compared to approximately 15,000 in Cullman).

“Since we’ve had [legal sales] passed, we’ve had three new restaurants that are open right now — that sell alcohol — and we’ve also had some others added that don’t sell alcohol,” she said of the downtown district. “We had a pizza place open up with wine and beer, a Mexican restaurant, and a wing place. [Alcohol sales] definitely helped, and you have more people interested in opening, and of course there has also been a lot of growth outside downtown around the interstate.”

Greater Limestone County Chamber of Commerce President Hugh Ball said a downtown-focused organization — such as the fairly new Spirit of Athens group — has also been a major factor in new business growth.

“We started a committee with the goal of downtown revitalization, and that operated as a chamber committee and was eventually incorporated as a separate organization called Spirit of Athens,” he said. “That focus, by a dedicated organization, has really made a difference. That has helped fill some empty buildings, bring in new restaurants, and they have done some other projects to contribute to their mission.”

In the nearby Marshall County city of Arab, population 10,000, downtown merchants association president Kathy Ramsey said legal alcohol sales have given the small city a leg-up in convincing patrons to stay in town.

“We’ve seen a positive effect downtown, and more people will come down and stay here to eat instead of going to Huntsville or Guntersville,” she said. “We’re in the process of working to try and recruit small businesses and this will help us.”

Though alcohol sales can help spur growth, Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce President Kirk Mancer said Cullman is lucky enough to already have a vibrant downtown infrastructure to build on.

“I mean, of course, I think there are a few more retail opportunities that could make downtown more complete, but having a strong downtown community center is vital to see the entire area grow,” he said. “Part of that is making sure you have a strong downtown — and we certainly have that — and if we add to that it will make the entire community stronger and even more attractive to residents and potential industry.”

For the complete story, see the Sunday edition of The Cullman Times.