DALTON, Ga. -- Area leaders may borrow ideas from Columbus, Ga., to transform downtown into an "uptown."
About 30 community leaders recently traveled to Columbus to learn how Columbus State University and the city worked together to bring college life downtown, or to what they call the city's "Uptown."
Hopes are to do something similar with Dalton State College and the downtown area here.
"We're obviously trying to attract more life downtown," Mayor David Pennington said. "Having students downtown does it pretty quickly."
Dalton City Administrator Ty Ross said a downtown presence would help Dalton State, too, because "it will engage (students) in the community" and "increase the student quality of life."
Richard Bishop, president of Uptown Columbus Inc., said efforts to bring parts of Columbus State downtown started in the late 1990s.
John Lester, executive director of community and public relations for the university, said the project started with the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, which opened in 2002. The center is used by both the city and college and houses the university's school of music, he said.
The university now has about 12 buildings downtown. Not only arts classes, but master's of business administration and history classes are downtown, as well as housing for about 350 students, Mr. Lester said.
He said the university's downtown presence has "given us a way to expand and a way to add an extra, exciting element."
Mr. Bishop said that, with students and faculty combined, there's about 600 people downtown every day.
"It just brings vibrancy to our downtown," he said.
Dalton leaders aren't sure yet what aspects of Dalton State could move downtown, but say perhaps the college could add an arts program.
Bob Kinard, a member of the Dalton State College Foundation, said, "We're really in the very beginning stages of trying to put something together."
Mr. Bishop said bringing Columbus State downtown was "a true partnership between the state, the city and the private side." Local leaders agree it would take the same combination here.
Mr. Lester said that, over the past 10 years, about $112 million has been invested by or on behalf of Columbus State for its downtown projects.
Mr. Pennington said Dalton is preparing for a February visit from representatives with the Savannah College of Art and Design. He said the college may also be interested in a satellite campus here.
"Right now, we're looking at all the possibilities," he said.