For City Attorney Nathan Davis, the choice put before the Albany-Dougherty Inner City Authority Board Wednesday afternoon was a simple one.

“The question you face is, do you want to spend over $300,000 for a dream?” Davis said after the board was asked to consider approval of a pre-development planning and consulting agreement with Shandon Development Properties of Charlotte, N.C., to devise a master plan for some $49 million in downtown development. “That’s what this boils down to.”

Moments later the board voted unanimously to approve the agreement, which could dramatically change the face of downtown if the plan comes to fruition.

“I dream big,” board member Thelma Johnson said before the vote.

Click here to continue reading.