Brundidge city leaders made a smart move this week when they agreed to designate the old city hall building as a community theater.

The move, which came at the request of some residents, is really an investment in the community. Brundidge has long built its reputation on its quaintness ­ from being the Antique City to being home to old-fashioned, Main Street parades.

Its culture and its arts are an important part of that quaintness and that quality of life, and creating a community playhouse to celebrate that culture is a bold move. Council members could have easily argued that the Brundidge was simply too small to warrant the investment, or that the cost to the city in upkeep on the facility would be too.

Instead, they saw the vision of the possibility ­ a community playhouse available to the public for folklife plays and concerts and a community center available to groups who want to gather and use it.

And they saw an opportunity to do something about that.

Brundidge is, by many accounts, poised for growth. A new Wal-Mart Distribution Center, with the promise of more than 600 jobs, is under construction on the outskirts of town. Southern Classic Foods is up and running. And as Pike County positions itself to take advantage of the economic development opportunities offered by the location of Hyundai’s manufacturing plant in Hope Hull, Brundidge is likely to be a key beneficiary in the efforts.

Investments in quality of life ­ such as the playhouse in Brundidge and the much-discussed plans to turn the old post office into some type of cultural arts center in downtown Troy ­ are important for Pike County. They show that our community leaders realize the importance of nurturing and fostering the arts and entertainment, two things with greatly contribute to the quality of life in any community.  

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