KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Several East Tennessee sites will receive millions to help restore and preserve their historical value.
The money is coming from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s Tennessee Historic Development Grants. This program will provide $8.7 million to projects that aim to renovate and preserve historic buildings across the state. The goal of the grants is to encourage communities and developers to invest in places that have contributed to local history but now sit idle.
In East Tennessee, around 14 properties received grant money from Morristown to Chattanooga. East Tennessee sites will receive nearly $5 million in total. The locations receiving funding can be found below:
- Reagan Investments, Inc – $300,000 to rehabilitate the Vose School in Alcoa
- Appalachia Health Services – $496,316 to rehabilitate Union Bank in Jellico
- Ashland Holdings LLC – $400,000 to rehabilitate the J.W. Arnold Building in Morristown
- Randall B Debord dba Debord Enterprises – $400,000 to rehabilitate the J.G. McCroy 5 & 10 Cent Store in Morristown
- Rhonda D Click dba 109 Lofts – $400,000 to rehabilitate the Sheeley Piano Building in Morristown
- KBD, LLC – $400,000 to rehabilitate the Felknor Building in Morristown
- Kenneth B Smith FLP – $129,340 to rehabilitate 177 West Main Street in Morristown
- Charles C Doty Jr – $320,000 to rehabilitate 129 South Main Street in Greeneville
- City of Harriman – $300,000 to rehabilitate the Temperance Building in Harriman
- Historic Rugby, Inc – $168,000 to rehabilitate the Uffington House in Rugby
- Jason Lee Collis – $400,000 to rehabilitate the Kimsey Junior College in Ducktown
- Preserve Chattanooga, Inc – $24,000 to rehabilitate Terminal Station in Chattanooga
- Tivoli Theatre Foundation, Inc – $300,000 to rehabilitate the Trigg-Smart Building in Chattanooga
- Chattanooga Hotel, LLC – $300,000 to rehabilitate the Chattanooga Bank Building in Chattanooga
- Christopher Allen Canclini – $200,000 to rehabilitate the Presbyterian Church Parsonage in Rogersville
- Johnson City Opportunity Properties – $280,521 to rehabilitate JC Radio and TV Service in Johnson City
- Zeta Partners – $108,015 to rehabilitate the J.W. Hunter Building in Johnson City
“Tennessee is known for its quality of life, and at TNECD, we have the privilege to take part in community development programs that assist in restoring and preserving some of our state’s most unique and historic assets,” said TNECD Commissioner Stuart McWhorter. “Through the latest round of the Historic Development Grants program, communities across Tennessee are taking steps to revitalize their historic buildings so that they can continue to serve as catalysts for future economic opportunity.”
To ensure that each proposal would rehabilitate the structures while maintaining historical integrity, TNECD partnered with the Tennessee Historical Commission (THC) to set application requirements and review grant applications. To be qualified for a grant, the property needs to be on the National Register of Historic Places or are part of a National Register of Historic Places historic district.
“The Tennessee Historical Commission is proud to have the opportunity to provide assistance in this program to ensure that the legacy of Tennessee’s historic landmarks continue to inspire generations to come,” said Patrick McIntyre, executive director of the Tennessee Historical Commission and state historic preservation officer. “Historic properties are being rehabilitated across our state, including the Snuff Factory Warehouse in Memphis and the Vose School in Alcoa where work is being accomplished thanks to the economic incentives from the Historic Development Grants and Federal Historic Tax Credits.”
More information about the grant can be found here. In addition, all of the properties that received funding across the state can be found here.
