Downtown improvement grants awarded to 17 cities
Downtown improvement grants totaling more than $4 million have been awarded to 17 Tennessee Main Street and Tennessee Downtowns communities.
Grants were awarded to organizations that illustrated the need for improvements and the ability to execute an effective design plan for building facades, wayfinding signage, gateways and streetscapes.
“I congratulate each of the recipients that have been awarded funding through the latest round of Downtown Improvement Grants,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “Tennessee’s downtown districts and main streets are the focal point of our communities, and these grants will help attract new business and promote tourism at the local level.”
As part of the program, each new grant recipient will be required to match 25-percent of the funding received.
“Tennessee would not be known for its exceptional quality of life if it weren’t for the leaders across our state that have chosen to invest in their main streets and downtown districts,” said Commissioner McWhorter. “These 17 communities have a better chance at securing new investment and spurring job creation because of the Downtown Improvement Grants, and we are proud to partner with them in their revitalization efforts.”
Communities receiving Downtown Improvement Grants are:
- Bristol - $300,000
- Cleveland - $300,000
- Dyersburg - $300,000
- Elizabethton - $300,000
- Etowah - $300,000
- Halls - $206,250
- Johnson City - $300,000
- Lawrenceburg - $150,000
- Lewisburg - $300,000
- Madisonville - $300,000
- Martin - $299,276
- McMinnville - $300,000
- Newbern - $177,373
- Sevierville - $159,600
- Smithville - $300,000
- Sweetwater - $150,000
- Union City - $300,000
“We are excited that these 17 communities will benefit from the latest round of Downtown Improvement Grants and look forward to seeing how each city and town uses this opportunity for revitalization to create jobs and investment in their central business districts in the years to come,” said TNECD Main Street Director Nancy Williams.
To be eligible for a Downtown Improvement Grant, communities had to submit an application and be a designated Tennessee Downtowns or Tennessee Main Street community. To learn more about the Downtown Improvement Grant Program, visit the website here.