Downtown Alpine sparkles a little more each day, since
friends, residents and business owners banded together to fix
facades, pretty-up parks, and show-off the best of local
businesses.
Alpine Downtown Association and Murphy Street Historic
District, two independent organizations, are working to create a
walkable and fun future, and it all fits into City of Alpine’s
long-term vision plan.
Downtown improvements have been on an upswing since the
1990s, when some major infrastructure improvements were first
made.
It was at that time, through Main Street programs and an
Alpine Business Linkage Enhancement grant secured by
businessman Dave Busey, that Murphy Street was paved, and
sidewalks and handicap accessible walkways were added on
both sides of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks that choo-choo
through the middle of town.
That literally paved the way for businesses to flourish.
Alpine Downtown
Association
Alpine Downtown Association
(ADA) formed in 2016 to focus on
the core downtown area, loosely
bounded by Sul Ross and Murphy
avenues to the north and south, and
3rd and 7th streets to the east
and west.
The group wants to offer locals
more reasons to hang out in the core district, and
decided to hold quarterly Heart of Alpine events, for businesses to
stay open later than usual, and give people something to do.
ADA is basically a brainstorming machine of downtown aficionados
thinking of creative ways to make Alpine a more sociable place.
They decided to adopt the emblem of El Corazon and incorporate
elements of the Sacred Heart to represent the concept, since it
embraces Alpine’s Hispanic heritage and symbolizes a blazingly bright
future.
The group will hold Heart of Alpine nights in conjunction with
Cowboy Poetry in February, Alpine Gem and Mineral Show in April,
Big Bend Ranch Rodeo in August and December’s parade and
lighting event.
The point of Heart of Alpine isn’t to offer more of the same old,
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2017-18 Community Guide & Chamber of Commerce Directory | alpine TEXAS 11