Brunswick Earns Two of Georgia’s Highest Downtown Honors
The Golden Isles Development Authority is proud to celebrate two extraordinary recognitions from the Georgia Downtown Association — and prouder still that both belong to Brunswick.
At the GDA Annual Conference in Rome, Georgia, Downtown Brunswick was named the 2026 Downtown of the Year — the organization’s highest honor — and Mathew Hill, Executive Director of the Brunswick Downtown Development Authority, was presented with the 2026 Inspired Leader Award. Taken together, these two distinctions tell a single, connected story about a community and a leader who have spent more than two decades building something worth celebrating.
A Downtown Transformed
The Georgia Downtown Association’s Downtown of the Year award recognizes communities that demonstrate sustained, exceptional achievement in downtown revitalization — in planning, historic preservation, economic development, placemaking, and community engagement. It is not given lightly, and it is not given to communities that have simply checked boxes. It goes to communities that have done the hard, patient, long-term work of bringing a downtown back to life.
Downtown Brunswick has done exactly that.
Over the past two decades, historic buildings that once sat empty have been carefully restored into thriving restaurants, boutique shops, offices, and gathering spaces. Public squares and streetscapes that were once overlooked now host farmers markets, festivals, concerts, cultural celebrations, and community events that draw residents and visitors together throughout the year. What was once a corridor in need of investment has become one of Georgia’s most celebrated downtown destinations — welcoming more than 1.3 million visitors annually and serving as the economic, cultural, and civic heart of the Golden Isles.
“Downtown Brunswick exemplifies the very best of downtown revitalization,” said Jason Ford, President of the Georgia Downtown Association. “Through historic preservation, entrepreneurship, strategic partnerships, and an unwavering commitment to community, Brunswick has created a downtown that is economically resilient, culturally vibrant, and positioned for continued success. Its achievements serve as an inspiration for communities across Georgia.”
What makes this recognition so meaningful is that it does not belong to any one person or organization. Downtown Brunswick’s transformation has been shaped by public officials, business owners, property owners, nonprofits, educators, volunteers, and residents who believed in their downtown long before it was easy to do so. Their collective commitment — year after year, project after project — has created a district that is not only thriving today but building genuine momentum for the future.
A Leader Who Made It Possible
It would be difficult to tell the story of Downtown Brunswick’s revival without telling the story of Mathew Hill — and the Georgia Downtown Association made that connection explicit by honoring him with the 2026 Inspired Leader Award in the same year.
Mathew has served as Executive Director of the Brunswick Downtown Development Authority for 22 years. In that time, he has been a constant, steady, visionary presence at the center of everything that has changed. Annual downtown event attendance has grown from fewer than 16,000 visitors in 2005 to more than 235,000 in 2025. Annual public and private investment in the district has risen from approximately $2.46 million to $16.48 million. And behind every one of those numbers is a relationship Mathew cultivated, a project he championed, a partner he brought to the table, or a property owner he convinced to believe in what Brunswick could become.
His work has spanned the full breadth of what downtown revitalization requires — from catalytic redevelopment projects like the Richland Rum Distillery, to historic preservation initiatives, to grant programs that have supported hundreds of local businesses and property owners over the years. He has worked alongside city leaders, state agencies, financial institutions, community organizations, and everyday residents with the same collaborative spirit that has always defined his approach.
“Mathew’s leadership embodies everything the Inspired Leader Award represents,” said GDA President Jason Ford. “For more than two decades, he has inspired others to think beyond what exists today and envision what is possible through collaboration, persistence, and strategic investment. His work has transformed downtown Brunswick into a model for revitalization across Georgia, and his impact will continue to benefit the community for generations to come.”
True to form, Mathew accepted the honor by pointing the credit back to the people around him.
“I’m incredibly honored to receive this award, but downtown revitalization is never the work of one person. For 22 years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside people who believe deeply in Brunswick and in what our downtown can become. Every project, every investment, and every step forward has been possible because of people willing to show up, collaborate, and believe in the bigger picture. I’m proud of how far we’ve come, but even more excited about where we’re going.”
Looking Ahead
Two awards. One community. One unmistakable message — Brunswick is a place where great things happen when people commit to each other and to something bigger than themselves.
On behalf of the Golden Isles Development Authority, congratulations to Downtown Brunswick, to Mathew Hill, and to everyone who has been part of this story. The recognition is well deserved. And if Mathew is right — and he usually is — the best chapters are still to come.
