City of Talladega Blog

(Talladega, AL) Highlights of an ongoing campaign to upgrade city-owned buildings include an impressive makeover for the Spring Street Recreation Center. 

“New flooring and a range of cosmetic upgrades are enhancing our buildings, making them brighter, more attractive and more inviting,” said City Manager Derrick Swanson, who spearheaded the transformation. “Feedback about all of our upgrades has been phenomenal, and I believe the changes underway at the Spring Street Recreation Center will help us attract youth who have been playing sports at facilities outside of our community." 

Talladega Parks and Recreation Director Summer Ammons is thrilled about the new flooring and other improvements. 

"The first floor is now completely done. The main area of the second floor and one meeting room have also been completed, and we will upgrade the main office, Room B, and the ballet room in the near future," she said.

Ammons is especially excited about the Nautilus Room, which has been completely overhauled. 

“We have new flooring, fresh paint, and all new workout equipment. We tried to consider everything community members would want to have a successful workout,” Ammons said.

The first stage of Swanson’s plan to transform city buildings included a refreshing coat of gray and white paint throughout City Hall, where flags and framed portraits of city leaders and colorful canvas prints of city employees now adorn the walls. Attractive new flooring replaced worn carpeting throughout city hall, and attractive braille signage replaced fading No Smoking/No Firearms signs. In the lobby, where flyers announcing meeting dates and other information were once taped to doors and windows, television screens now neatly display messages and announcements. 

Several community members, including Tena Turner of T.B. Turner Interior Design and Valerie White of Heritage Hall Museum, volunteered to assist with the city hall makeover, and similar upgrades have now been made at other city buildings. 

“There should be no doubt when you enter a city-owned facility that we are ready to do business.  Just as we want community members to maintain their properties, it is imperative that we maintain our properties,” said Swanson.