Businesses, citizens recognized during Toccoa Main Street Awards Ceremony

Toccoa honors a number of businesses and individuals at its annual Main Street Awards ceremony.

The yearly event, held last night at the Historic Ritz Theatre, brought city officials, downtown business owners, and others together to look back at the last year in downtown.

Toccoa Main Street Events Coordinator Sharon Crosby said the city is pleased to recognize this year’s award winners for their contributions to downtown Toccoa.

This year’s Main Street Award winners were:

Outstanding Community Service: The Toccoa Woman’s Club;

Most Original Business was awarded to Coins, Currency & Collectibles;

Main Street Newcomer Award went to Downtown Café;

Volunteers of the Year Award went to Gary and Stephanie Cortellino;

Best New Construction was awarded to Dollar General;

Dedicated Downtowner was awarded to McClure, Ramsay, Dickerson, and Escoe, LLP;

Best Historic Exterior Renovation was awarded to the Albemarle Hotel.

Meanwhile, Crosby said the Main Street Awards also provide the city a chance to thank the volunteers that make all of the events and activities in downtown happen.

The two volunteer groups who received recognition were the 2019 Promotions Committee and the 2019 Historic Preservation Commission.

Also, Main Street Toccoa said there were 10 new businesses open shop in Toccoa’s downtown district in 2019 that resulted in a net gain of 38 jobs.

Goals for 2020 include installing additional lighting in the alleyways in downtown Toccoa; adding new seasonal banners for the Fall, and the completion of the Toccoa Depot Platform.