South Rome Alliance works to facilitate the implementation of the South Rome Redevelopment Master Plan by working with our partners, including the City of Rome and Floyd County governments, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, non-profit community partners, and for-profit developers hoping to make a difference in the community.
Our Approach
South Rome Alliance is dedicated to revitalizing the South neighborhood, and we are excited to work with local partners, leaders, and residents to improve the quality of life in a healthy, equitable and vibrant community.
Holistic Approach, Proven Model
Working from the blueprint of Purpose Built Communities, South Rome Alliance is following a holistic approach for community revitalization that has been proven to provide residents with incredible opportunities for success.
Defined Neighborhood
Focus on defined neighborhoods where transformative programs and infrastructure can be established; if we can change the place, we can change outcomes for the people who live there.
Community Quarterback
South Rome Alliance leads the revitalization by engaging community members, building partnerships, securing funding, managing programs and ensuring implementation of the housing, education, and wellness components of the model as part of the community’s vision.
Mixed Income Housing
Offer an environment with high-quality construction and practical amenities surrounded by safe walkways and streets, transforming the way residents view themselves and their neighborhood.
Cradle-to-College Education
Establish an arena for student growth, learning, and achievement at every level starting at birth, and implement a rigorous and relevant curriculum to help ensure successful futures through college and beyond.
Community Wellness
Provide a community-specific mix of facilities, programs, and services that honor local history, reflect the priorities of residents, promote healthy lifestyles, create jobs, and reduce crime.
Our Beginnings
A Quality Growth Resource Team for the South Rome community was organized in February 2002 through collaboration among the City of Rome, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, and the Georgia Quality Growth Partnership, a statewide coalition of government agencies, universities, non-profits, and business groups working to provide technical assistance on “smart growth” issues to Georgia communities. The resource team focused its study on a project area that included the entirety of South Rome, bounded by the Etowah and Coosa Rivers to the north and west, Rome city limits to the south, and the Norfolk-Southern railroad line to the east.
The multidisciplinary team was made up of specialists in city planning, real estate development, urban design, historic preservation, architecture, resource conservation, and housing. The team spent a week in the project area and conducted facilitated meetings involving a broad cross section of community representatives, designed to give the team members a deeper understanding of development issues and the needs of the South Rome area.
The Quality Growth Resource Team reached the following conclusions:
- South Rome should be a community of thriving, diverse residential neighborhoods, linked together by a shared corridor (South Broad-East Main-Cave Spring Road).
- Sidewalks and trails should be provided or upgraded throughout South Rome to encourage pedestrian/bicycling activity and to strengthen the linkages between neighborhoods.
- Each of the existing neighborhoods should remain primarily single-family residential, and the city should offer assistance where needed to ensure that the more economically distressed neighborhoods become more stable, mixed-income communities with a larger percentage of owner-occupied housing.
- Because neighborhood residents clearly do not want more multi-family housing or commercial development within their neighborhoods, these uses should be located along the corridor of South Broad and East Main streets.
