St Marys Still Searching for Identity

Weaknesses? A lack of employment outside of Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, a significant distance from Interstate 95 and a lack of retail -- not to mention the sand gnats. When it comes to the future of St. Marys, however, things get a little harder to pin down. The city has a long history as an industrial town. It first served as a hub in the commercial fishing industry. Later, the paper mill employed thousands of local residents, many of whom still live within walking distance of the site. However, St. Marys seems to be struggling with its identity now that those industries are gone. The city's history and atmosphere give it strong potential as a tourism destination. However, its lack of a beach may hinder it slightly in its attempts to draw tourists from the sugary sands of the Golden Isles or Florida. What's that you say? We do have a beach? Ah yes, Cumberland Island. The national seashore is truly a jewel in our national park system, and St. Marys is in prime position as the only access point for those without personal watercraft or a reservation at Greyfield. But the city also has a long way to go when it comes to capitalizing on the tourists who enter St. Marys on their way to the Cumberland ferry. Many of those people return from the island, get into their cars and leave without setting foot in a local restaurant or gift shop. You can't blame the tourists. Businesses only do as well as they advertise, but the city also has a duty to do as much as it can to help inform tourists about all St. Marys has to offer. Marketing, especially signage, is crucial for tourism communities. Midtown St. Marys, in particular, could use a little "signage makeover," as it were. And not just from the standpoint of businesses in that area. Midtown is littered with metal plates screwed to metal poles stuck haphazardly into the rights of way by the city and state: speed limit signs, airport signs, hospital signs, fire department signs, school zone signs, directional signs - you get the point. A midtown merchants' authority or other business group might be able to work with the city to clear some of the clutter and bring a more cohesive look to midtown. For St. Marys, the key to future success lies in capitalizing on its strengths and working to correct its weaknesses through controlled growth that meets a strict set of ordinances. Progress will come to St. Marys, whether some want to admit it or not. Let's work now to make sure it's the kind of progress we want.