Decatur and Spring City, Tennessee are new participants in the Tennessee Downtowns program, which catalyzes entrepreneurship and property development in historic downtown districts.
The Tennessee Downtowns program, created by the state Department of Economic and Community Development, trains community decision-makers in Main Street America's "4-Point Approach" of:
Economic vitality
Design
Promotion
Organization
To qualify, the candidates must have a downtown area that dates back more than 50 years. Once selected, the towns agree to redevelop their downtown districts according to Main Street guidelines.
Decatur and Spring City will get a $15,000 grant, plus training for their community leaders on the Main Street approach. Copperhill, Ducktown, Dunlap, Etowah, Jasper, Pikeville, South Pittsburg and Tracy City have all taken part in the Tennessee Downtowns program in the past.
“The investments we make in rural Tennessee benefit all Tennesseans, and the Tennessee Downtowns program allows us to equip some of our most rural communities with the tools needed to better develop and revitalize their downtown districts. I congratulate the 12 communities participating in the latest round of the program and look forward to seeing how their downtowns flourish and attract new growth in the years to come.”