Elizabethton receives $400K Downtown Improvement Grant

ELIZABETHTON — Elizabethton has been awarded a $400,000 state grant. Senator Rusty Crowe and Rep. Renea Jones announced Thursday that Elizabethton has once again been rewarded a Downtown Improvement Grant. This year's grant totals $400,000. The grant will be used for improving downtown business structures, in various ways, including aesthetically, functionally and improving safety. Assistant City Manager Logan Engle said this is the third straight year that Elizabethton has received the grant. "We are appreciative to once again receive the grant. It is very competitive," Engle said. Engle said the grant will be divided up into sub grants that will be awarded to various downtown businesses and buildings. The decisions on how to award the grants will be made through competitive proposals of what would be done to improve a downtown building. Engle said a pubic meeting will be held in the Council Chambers of City Hall on Jan. 26 at 5:30 p.m. to provide details about this year's competition. Engle said even if a business and property owners has competed for sub grants over the past three years, they should attend this meeting because the state has made a lot of changes that will be discussed in the meeting. As an example, Engle said the latest grant will include safety improvements such as improving a sprinkler system. State Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, said he was pleased that Elizabethton has received the grant. "My roots are in Carter County and I fondly remember those days, especially this time of year, when my grandfather, Carson Crowe, used to take me Christmas shopping up and down the streets of Elizabethton," he said. "Too often, we are forgotten when Nashville appropriates dollars to improve our cities." He said he was glad that Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter focused on improving cities like Elizabethton in rural counties. He also thanked state Rep. Renea Jones, R-Unicoi, for helping Jones said she was also pleased with the grant to Elizabethton. "Our downtown is the heart of the community, and this investment will help preserve its character, while supporting local business, tourism, and long-term economic growth," she said. Lee also expressed his appreciation for the program, which will provide $4.3 million to 16 communities across the state. "What happens in rural Tennessee matters to all Tennesseans, and our downtown districts serve as vital economic engines for tourism, economic development, and quality of life," Lee said. As part of the requirements of the grant, Elizabethton will be matching 25% of the funding they received to also be invested into their downtown. Another requirement is that 50% of the funding received will go to improve the facade of the buildings around the downtown community. The grant will also be used for gateway improvements, streetscape improvements, courtyard improvements, wayfinding signage, electric vehicle charging stations, safety and stability improvements, and entertainment venue improvements.