While many consider Brookway Boulevard to be the city’s “frontdoor” and have strived to make it inviting, other “side entrances,”if you will, have seen less attention.

That fact is changing in small part thanks to a joint effort amongseveral aldermen who oversee the northern part of the city andcounty leaders. City crews this past week were working around thenorth Brookhaven exit at Interstate 55 and along the corridor tothe community’s Industrial Park.

Ward Six Alderman David Phillips, who is working in conjunctionwith fellow Aldermen D.W. Maxwell and Dorsey Cameron, said the goalis to improve the appearance of the area that sees hundreds ofvehicles travel it daily. A nice appearance promotes communitypride among local residents and the opportunity for economicdevelopment from outside the area.

With exit 42 being the first exit that southbound interstatetravelers come to, having an attractive area is important to make agood first impression and also to the city’s ability to bring themin to the community. Capitalizing on that ability to attractpassing motorists represents a key component in the economicsuccess of a community.

Those who stop will likely spend money either at restaurants, gasstations or other establishments, which adds to a community’s salestax revenue. And positive word-of-mouth because of a friendly andwelcoming community appearance could bring others to the city inthe future.

Communities that put forth the effort to make themselves attractivereap dividends in a variety of ways. Those that do not see revenueopportunities and chances for improvement lost in the form ofpassing motorists who see no reason to stop.

With the efforts under way in north Brookhaven, city leaders areendeavoring to make our community as attractive and as welcoming aspossible.