Welcome to Commerce!

As Mayor of Commerce, I would like to welcome you to the City of Commerce . Commerce is located in Northeast Georgia and when you visit our downtown, you will notice the Norfolk Southern Railway tracks that run through the center of town and discover just where our city slogan comes from ...

"A City on the Right Track."

Our downtown revitalization program has been quite successful improving the appearance of our downtown business district and has played an important role in attracting new business and professional and cultural interest in our city. As one of 's

Main Street

cities, Commerce provides downtown revitalization within the context of historic preservation. We have an active Business Association which works with our

Main Street

program to promote Commerce with major events throughout the year.

Our streetscape plan included removing power lines from the downtown area, placing street lights throughout the downtown, trees, plantings, brick pavers, planter boxes, waste receptacles and benches. The difference these improvements have made has encouraged local merchants to spruce up their individual buildings accordingly.

When the Postal service decided to build a new post office facility away from the downtown, we worked hard to put together a package for them that would keep the facility downtown. The City purchased the old post office building for our new city hall and we have renovated this historic building and made it the center for all city operations. We then renovated the old city hall building.  This renovated facility now houses the Georgia Agri-Business Council.

Another historic building that was rescued by the City is our Civic Center . Vanity Fair bought the Blue Bell building and closed it after a year.  They gave the city the building and by using inmate labor the city has restored it. The Civic Center hosts more than 600 events annually.

We are also proud of our Cultural Center . When the Presbyterian Church left their historic building downtown to build a new church, the city acquired the building, restored it, and it is now maintained by the Downtown Development Authority. It hosts recitals, band concerts, pageants and provides a venue for the performing arts. A local theater group was formed and it produces four to six plays and musicals a year.

These are just a few of our accomplishments of which we are proud and we hope that you will soon visit Commerce and see just what our city has to offer. You will find our community to be warm and friendly. Again, we welcome you to Commerce's website and hope that you will want to come soon and tour some of our revitalization projects and see why we are known as the "City on the Right Track."

Sincerely,

Charles L. Hardy, Jr.

Mayor

PO Box 348 - 27 Sycamore Street

Commerce, Georgia 30529

706-335-3164

Updated 9/26/2005