Thrower

CAIRO — Mayor-elect Howard Thrower said he plans to meet with council members and city staff Friday to familiarize himself prior to being sworn into office June 22.

“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” Thrower said of his Tuesday night election victory. “I feel optimistic.”

The mayor-elect said Wednesday that he wants to “revive” downtown Cairo and bring businesses back into town.

Some downtown buildings were long ago placed on a register of historic places, and Thrower says he first wants to determine how many structures still have that designation. Once that process is completed, the mayor-elect wants to enact regulations to protect the historic charm of downtown Cairo, much like the City of Savannah did decades ago.

“Efforts were made to preserve that city,” he said. “If you go buy a house in a historic district in Savannah, you can’t go in and paint it pink. You can’t go in and put in sliding glass doors.”

Using Thomasville as a model, Thrower wants to determine a “theme” for what downtown Cairo should look like. That process might take the form of a special committee which will determine what it would take for a theme to work and have residents buy into the aesthetic.

Any plans to revitalize downtown Cairo will have to start with the former train depot on Broad Street, which Thrower said he considers the city’s “hub.” The 115-year-old structure is currently used as a police headquarters, but city officials will have to decide how they want to use building after the police department moves out later this year.

Whatever the city decides to do with the depot will serve as an “anchor” for the rest of downtown, Thrower said.

“We have to repurpose it and then determine if the city wants to own it or sell it,” he said.

Though Thrower didn’t have a specific idea of what kind of businesses he wants to see in the Hospitality City, he does know he wants some variety.

Thrower also wants to work closely with county officials to develop a zoning plan, which he said will have ripple effects in making the city more attractive to visitors and potential homeowners.

“Why would anybody want to buy a property to build a nice house when somebody could buy the property next to you and put a chicken house on it?” he said.

Other priorities for Thrower include streamlining the process to remove homes that are not habitable.

“It’s a fairly slow process that we have to go through to condemn a property,” he said.

Many of the structures in town that are no longer usable are aging, though Thrower said he does want to try to preserve historic buildings.

The 69-year-old mayor-elect said he felt a need to run for office out of a sense of duty to the city.

“My grandfather was mayor,” said Thrower, a fifth-generation Cairo resident. “I’ve been encouraged for nearly eight years to run for mayor.”

The now-retired Thrower said he has the necessary time to devote to the office he didn’t have as a registered investment adviser and a father of three.

Thrower considers his ability to find common ground with anyone to be one of his natural gifts.

“I’m a peacemaker,” he said.