Lenoir City, Tennessee, is getting $225,000 from the state to fix up its downtown. Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) named Lenoir City last Wednesday as one of 14 communities receiving a Downtown Improvement Grant, WBIR reported.
Lenoir City is one of two East Tennessee winners this round. Newport, in Cocke County, will get $245,511. Statewide, the program is handing out more than $3.9 million in rural economic development money, according to the state's announcement.
"Our rural communities are the backbone of our economy, and I'm proud to take part in announcing these grants," Lee said in the announcement. He said he looks forward to seeing the investments local leaders make.
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What the money can pay for
The grant is meant for physical work downtown. According to WATE's report, Downtown Improvement Grants can pay for:
- building facade improvements
- downtown gateways
- streetscape work on publicly owned property
- downtown courtyards
- downtown and wayfinding signs
- electric vehicle charging stations
- safety and stability improvements
- entertainment venue improvements
The state said it picked communities that showed both the need and "the ability to execute an effective design plan for building facades, wayfinding signage, gateways and streetscapes."
The local match
The grant is not free money for the whole job. Each community has to match 25% of the award, so the local share adds to the total amount of work done downtown.
Lenoir City qualified because it holds the state's Tennessee Downtowns designation. Only Tennessee Downtowns and Tennessee Main Street communities could apply.
What's next
Newport, the other East Tennessee winner, is also a Tennessee Downtowns community, so both towns will be working under the same state program rules as they plan their projects.
The state announcement did not list which Lenoir City buildings or blocks the money will go to. The city's plan for the work, which buildings and streets get it and when, is the next thing to watch.
Sources
- Lenoir City and Newport to receive over $200K each in grant money for downtown improvement, WBIR (via Yahoo News)
- Newport, Lenoir City getting $470K in grants for downtown improvements, WATE (via Yahoo News)
- TN: State Announces 14 Downtown Improvement Grant Recipients, Trade & Industry Development
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