Addie McCluskey
Elmore Autauga News
The Prattville City Council met for a work session to review the name suggestions for the outdoor venue at 124 West Main Street on March 17, 2026, before their regular council meeting.
The council received a total of 442 emails with name suggestions from the public. According to the city clerk, roughly 133 of those suggested the venue be called “The Lyric,” while 80 emails suggested maintaining the original name of “The Lyric at Esther’s.”
“This is our matriarch, and her maiden name is on the street behind the venue, so to me, it just goes hand in hand,” said District 6 Councilor Robert Strichik. “As far as the name tonight, I’m going to support ‘The Lyric at Esther’s,’ and if any resolutions come before us, I’ll ask for an amendment if it’s not available on the resolution.”
Strichik, who originally presented the idea to use Esther Pratt’s name, supported the use of “Esther’s” for the venue in some capacity. However, other councilors opposed the idea, following recent pushback on the use of her name and what they thought were more appropriate suggestions for both the building and venue.
“I think there’s a more relevant family name that would be more aligned with that bank building,” said District 1 Councilor Wade Newman. “You’re not going to put that name on anything else in town, so we are missing an opportunity to recognize this family by naming somebody else on it who doesn’t have 85 years of combined service associated with that building.”
The name Newman was referring to was “The Striplin Center,” named after James and Albert Striplin, who directed and served at the former Bank of Prattville, which was previously located at 124 West Main Street. Both have a history of service that extends beyond the bank building. James served in the U.S. Army in Germany during World War II and the Korean Conflict. He was also an officer in the Alabama National Guard for 13 years. Albert was a city councilor for District 1 from 2011 to 2024.
“In looking at Esther, I don’t have a problem with her,” said District 7 Councilor Thea Langley. “I just think it’s odd to name the bank building after her. When I envision something that would be appropriate for her, I envision something with flowers and trees and beauty that people can enjoy, not an incubator office space that clearly has the legacy of another family in that spot.”
With 47 submissions, Wilson Pickett, a Prattville-native who went on to become a singer and songwriter known for songs such as “Mustang Sally” and “Land of 1000 Dances,” was another prominent name suggested for the venue.
“I would love to see the stage be named after Wilson Pickett,” said District 2 Councilor Marcus Jackson. “I would love us to name the stage prior to the Pickett Fest that’s coming up on the 28th, and I think that would be a great time to dedicate it during that event.”
With time running out, no additional suggestions were presented from the public’s input, and the work session concluded. At the end of the regular city council meeting, Newman brought forward a resolution to name 124 West Main Street “The Striplin Center.”
To vote on the resolution during the meeting, the council would have had to unanimously suspend the rules, which require items to be introduced before the meeting in order to be considered.
With District 4 Councilor Tommy Merrick and Strichik voting against suspending the rules, the resolution naming 124 West Main Street was held until the next meeting.
Following the resolution to name the location, a resolution to name the adjacent outdoor venue “The Lyric” was brought forward by Jackson, and a resolution to name the venue’s stage “The Wilson Pickett Stage” was brought forward by Langley. Both resolutions also required suspension of the rules.
Again, the council did not unanimously approve suspending the rules, which also delayed the vote to name the venue and stage until the next council meeting on April 7, 2026.
For previous coverage on 124 West Main Street, visit Prattville seeks public input on name for 124 West Main Street.
