Decatur Square is about to get a multimillion-dollar makeover
People are flocking to downtown Decatur to get one last look at Decatur Square before it gets a massive makeover.
The plans include more green spaces, play areas, and a new stage.
The mayor told Channel 2's Linda Stouffer that the local businesses that make Decatur what it is will stay open during construction.
Officials broke ground on the $8.5 million renovation on Thursday.
'It's time for an update. The square is lovely, but it's time for an update,' Decatur business owner Parham Savadkoohi said.
They're calling this the Decatur Square Shake Up, which will expand the town center, adding more green space, play space, and a flexible stage. But say bye-bye to the gazebo.
'I think everyone has a little heartfelt attachment to the gazebo, but it's going to really open it up, make it possible for different events,' The Rev. Todd Speed with Decatur Presbyterian Church said.
TRENDING STORIES:
FSU shooter accused of killing 2, injuring 6 identified as deputy's son
Mother took rifle away from suspect moments before he shot Paulding deputy, GBI says
Deputies say it's a 'true miracle' after alleged Walmart shoplifter using scooter ran out of store
Mayor Patti Garrett said the construction phase will definitely have an impact,t and they're asking people to keep supporting the businesses around the square.
'Ten months. It's a short period of time to do all this, and we have made it clear to businesses, please reach out to us if anything they made need during that time,' City of Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett said. 'This is gonna improve it and make it better.'
And while businesses brace for construction detours, at Jeni's Ice Cream, they're confident people will find them.
'More customers. Trust me, they'll come with the construction,' store manager Nya Cherry said.
'When you go see some of the other city squares, it's time to get caught up, modernize with it, and I think the plan's lovely,' Savadkoohi said.
'Brings something new. A fresh music spot and everything,' business owner Scott Herman said.
This is only one phase of a larger plan. Decatur hopes to have a full reopening by next June, in time for the FIFA World Cup matches here.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Missouri House passes bill to keep Chiefs, Royals in state
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a plan to try and keep the Chiefs and Royals in the Show Me State. Senate Bill 3 authorizes the state to issue bonds valued at up to half the cost of stadium projects for the Chiefs and the Royals. On Thursday, June 5, the Missouri Senate passed the bill, with 19 voting for it and 13 against it. Now, it heads to the desk of Governor Mike Kehoe, who is expected to sign the bill into law. KC2026 to provide update on FIFA World Cup tournament plans Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas released a statement Wednesday afternoon, praising the Missouri Legislature's passage of Senate Bill 3: 'I commend Governor Kehoe for crafting legislation that will keep the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri for years to come. With passage in the Missouri legislature, Kansas City will continue its work with the Royals to build a robust and responsible area development and incentive plan to keep the Royals in Kansas City, Missouri—building on a generation of investment and growth in Downtown Kansas City. New, firm, and non-speculative Missouri state support matched with Kansas City's own resources and unique experience among area local governments in large facility development of venues like CPKC Stadium, the Kansas City International Airport, and more, will allow Kansas City to move the long conversation on the future of local sports facilities to completion. Kansas City also will provide necessary assistance to the Chiefs, their landlord Jackson County, and Clay County to build a long-term future for Arrowhead Stadium, one of the finest football venues in the world, and practice venues that can spur more development opportunities for the team and our region.' Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV The property tax portion of the bill has made it more controversial, though. It allows counties to put a local property tax reform measure on their ballots – capping a person's real property tax liability at five percent. But the largest counties in the state, like Jackson County for instance, aren't included. When it comes to the stadium portion of the bill, there was opposition from some state lawmakers who said it makes the Chiefs and Royals more profitable—at the expense of taxpayers. The Chiefs also released a statement Wednesday, thanking Gov. Kehoe: 'We are grateful to Governor Mike Kehoe and the Missouri Legislature for taking this significant step forward. The passing of this legislation is an important piece of the overall effort. While there's still work to be done, this legislation enables the Chiefs to continue exploring potential options to consider remaining in Missouri.' The Royals released a statement as well: 'As we said from the beginning of the Legislature's deliberations, their work is a very important piece of our decision-making process. Now that both houses have voted and the bill is headed to the Governor's desk, we look forward to evaluating the plan in full detail.' 'Our focus remains the same: to prioritize the best interests of our team, fans, partners and regional community as we pursue the next generational home for the Kansas City Royals.' The bill will now head to Gov. Kehoe to sign. The Chiefs and Royals currently play football and baseball in side-by-side stadiums in Jackson County, Missouri, under leases that expire in January 2031. Jackson County voters last year defeated a sales tax extension that would have helped finance an $800 million renovation of the Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium and a $2 billion ballpark district for the Royals in downtown Kansas City. That prompted lawmakers in neighboring Kansas last year to authorize bonds for up to 70% of the cost of new stadiums in Kansas to lure the teams to their state. The Royals have bought a mortgage for property in Kansas, though the team also has continued to pursue other possible sites in Missouri. The Kansas offer is scheduled to expire June 30, creating urgency for Missouri to approve a counteroffer. Missouri's legislation authorizes bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums, plus up to $50 million of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments. If they choose to stay in Missouri, the Chiefs plan a $1.15 billion renovation of Arrowhead Stadium. Many economists contend public funding for stadiums isn't worth it, because sports tend to divert discretionary spending away from other forms of entertainment rather than generate new income. But supporters said Missouri stands to lose millions of dollars of tax revenue if Kansas City's most prominent professional sports teams move to Kansas. They said Missouri's reputation also would take a hit, particularly if it loses the Chiefs, which have won three of the past six Super Bowls. The legislation faced some bipartisan pushback from those who described it as a subsidy for wealthy sports team owners. Others raised concerns that a property tax break for homeowners, which was added in the Senate to gain votes, violates the state constitution by providing different levels of tax relief in various counties while excluding others entirely. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Stay with FOX4 for the latest updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
GM to invest $4B into U.S. manufacturing, including KCK's Fairfax plant
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — General Motors announced on Tuesday that it plans to invest about $4 billion over the next two years into manufacturing throughout the United States, including the Fairfax plant in Kansas City, Kansas. According to , the new investment will give the company the opportunity to create more than 2 million new vehicles per year across the U.S. KC2026 to provide update on FIFA World Cup tournament plans Three plants across Michigan, Kansas and Tennessee will expand vehicle production of some of the company's most popular models: Orion Assembly, Orion Township, Michigan Gas-powered full-size SUVs and light-duty pickup trucks Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Cadillac ESCALADE IQ, and GMC HUMMER EV pickup and SUV Fairfax Assembly, Kansas City, Kansas Gas-powered Chevrolet Equinox and 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EVs. 'GM expects to make new future investments in Fairfax for GM's next generation of affordable EVs,' the company said. Spring Hill Manufacturing, Spring Hill, Tennessee Gas-powered Chevrolet Blazer, Cadillac LYRIQ and VISTIQ EVs, and the Cadillac XT5 The latest manufacturing plan comes after the company announced an $888 million investment proposal in the Tonawanda Propulsion plant near Buffalo, New York. The investment aims to help GM develop and evolve the V-8 engine. 'We believe the future of transportation will be driven by American innovation and manufacturing expertise,' said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. 'Today's announcement demonstrates our ongoing commitment to build vehicles in the U.S and to support American jobs. We're focused on giving customers choice and offering a broad range of vehicles they love.' According to the company, about one million people — customers, employees and suppliers — across the nation depend on GM's 50 U.S. manufacturing plants and parts facilities across 19 states, as well as its 11 assembly plants, to sustain their livelihoods. At this time, the company said it is on track to deliver its sixth consecutive year as the full-size pickup sales leader, and its 51st straight year leading in full-size SUVs. Additionally, in the second half of 2024, GM became the second-highest seller of electric vehicles in the U.S. with the help of its 13 new EV models from Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC. Because of this success, Chevrolet has become the fastest-growing EV brand and is ranked second among all EV brands in sales. Hallmark Christmas Experience returns to Kansas City with star appearances 'Today's news goes well beyond the investment numbers — this is about hardworking Americans making vehicles they are proud to build and that customers are proud to own,' said GM President Mark Reuss. 'As you travel the country, you can see firsthand the scale of our manufacturing footprint and the positive economic impact on our communities and our country.' The company said going forward, it expects its annual capital spending to be between $10 billion and $12 billion through 2027, reflecting GM's effort to invest back into U.S. manufacturing, as well as key programs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


Fox Sports
8 hours ago
- Fox Sports
FOX Sports University: Bridging Academia and Sports Media
I went to college back in the 1900s — the previous century. Like many young students, I didn't fully appreciate or take advantage of the college experience at the time. But when FOX recently contacted me with the opportunity to head back to college and participate in the FOX U program, I jumped at the chance to see what this generation of students in the broadcast field were up to. Meeting with the Syracuse students at the prestigious Newhouse School of Communication, it was clear that they meant business. This generation has grown up in a world where everything is being "broadcast", with all the production, distribution, and competition of traditional broadcast media. But some of the challenges and opportunities in the business remain the same. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup a year away and FOX looking to maximize our broadcast, the challenge presented to the students was pretty simple: How does FOX go about attracting as many young/new viewers as possible to the 2026 FIFA World Cup? It was an open canvas for them to showcase their ideas and skills. The groups set about conceiving, creating, and presenting their projects. We were able to see and follow the progression, including the inevitable ups and downs of any project. There are dynamics in a project involving communication, personalities, work distribution, and, of course, the pressure of a deadline. All these things are found in the real world and require proper navigation to succeed. The final presentations were unique and thoughtful. They often forced me to think about the business I've been in for years in a different way. Any good learning environment needs the proper balance of positive and negative feedback. We wanted to encourage the students without giving them a false sense of security. If there were problems or concerns with the projects, we honestly pointed them out and looked for solutions. If there were good ideas we praised them and looked to improve upon them. But the students did all the hard work. Each project was unique and looked at the challenge in a different way. The students and their projects were impressive, in substance and style. It's a skill and art, getting up in front of decision-makers and clearly and convincingly selling your idea. The FOX U program, like real life, has an element of competition. At the end of the semester, there is a winner, like real life. But there are no real losers. After all, college is where you learn from your mistakes and successes. The real world will come soon enough for these students, but judging by my FOX U experience with them ... they're gonna do just fine. What is FOX Sports University? In 2008, FOX Sports created an innovative partnership program with colleges and universities across the country named FOX Sports University. Since its inception, the initiative has forged partnerships with more than 40 elite academic and athletic institutions nationwide. This unique program has empowered thousands of students with hands-on industry experience while simultaneously generating fresh, creative concepts and a pipeline of talent for FOX Sports. FOX Sports University projects reflect current business priorities and are created specifically for the partner class curriculums and learning goals. Graduate and undergraduate participants tackle semester-long projects, developing actionable solutions that have potential for real-world implementation across FOX Sports platforms. What sets this program apart is the direct involvement of FOX Sports executives and on-air talent throughout the educational journey. Students gain invaluable insights while producing research, campaigns, and strategic concepts that receive real-time feedback along the way. The program's success as a talent pipeline is evident with hundreds of FOX Sports University alumni transitioning to internships and full-time roles within the company since its inception. Alexi Lalas is a soccer analyst for FOX Sports and host of "Alexi Lalas' State of the Union Podcast." He represented the USMNT at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and had a nine-year professional career. In 2006, he became the president of the LA Galaxy and helped bring David Beckham to Major League Soccer. recommended Get more from United States Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic