Prattville Council Names Downtown Venue, Business Center on West Main Street

The city-owned building at 124 West Main Street now carries the name of two men whose careers were built inside it, and the adjacent outdoor venue has the council's formal approval six months after the mayor began operating shows under a name no one had voted on.

The Prattville City Council passed resolutions during its April 7 regular meeting designating the former Bank of Prattville building as "The Striplin Business Center" and the outdoor performance space next door as "The Lyric at Esther's." The building renaming, sponsored by District 1 Councilor Wade Newman, honors James and Albert Striplin, both of whom held leadership roles at the Bank of Prattville when it occupied 124 West Main Street. Albert Striplin later served three terms on the Prattville City Council before his death in August 2024, having spent more than 35 years as the bank's director and president. James Striplin served in the U.S. Army in Germany during World War II and the Korean Conflict and as an officer in the Alabama National Guard for 13 years.

The venue naming drew the sharper debate. District 2 Councilor Marcus Jackson voted against "The Lyric at Esther's," citing community pain over Esther Ticknor Pratt's ties to slavery. "You have people in this community who are upset because we are potentially naming it that," Jackson said during the April 7 discussion. The council passed the venue name 5-2, with Jackson and Councilor Langley in opposition.

The Striplin Business Center is next in line for Prattville's first small business incubator, backed by a $45,455 grant secured through the city's new Innovate Alabama Network designation. The incubator is designed to accommodate up to 15 service- and technology-based businesses. City officials have not publicly detailed lease terms or a management structure, and formal programming has not yet launched.

The Lyric at Esther's, which began hosting concerts along West Main Street at its October 17, 2025 soft opening, operates as an all-ages, alcohol-free outdoor venue with free general admission. The Prattville Police Department patrols the space; food trucks rotate through on performance nights, and a large outdoor screen carries movies and sporting events. Parking is available on-site, with additional spaces throughout downtown within walking distance.

The formal naming resolves a governance dispute that began in October 2025, when Mayor Bill Gillespie announced the Esther's name without council approval, prompting public criticism and a council vote to postpone and establish a formal property-naming procedure. Two additional delays followed before the April 7 resolutions.

The city purchased the former Whitney Bank building in 2021 for approximately $1.3 million and has set aside $3.4 million in the city budget for renovation of the surrounding property, separate from the Innovate Alabama grant. With names now official, city officials said signage and promotional materials are next, along with outreach to the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce and local arts groups to schedule events and fill incubator slots. Whether the naming resolutions translate into occupied office space and a fully programmed outdoor stage is the test downtown business advocates and prospective tenants will be watching closely.