A half million grant to help continue rehabilitation of the Greene County Courthouse was announced Tuesday by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Agency.
The department grants total more than $6 million state wide allocated to renovate and preserve Tennessee’s historic buildings
“Through the Historic Development Grant Program, we are helping restore and revitalize some of Tennessee’s most historic buildings so that they once again can flourish, attracting further economic opportunity across our state,” TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter said in the news release.
“Thank you to the Tennessee Historical Commission for partnering with TNECD on this program. We look forward to seeing the growth and prosperity that will follow in our communities,” McWhorter said.
The Tennessee Historic Development Grant program was approved by the Tennessee General Assembly in April 2021. The program will provide $6.1 million to projects for renovation and preservation of historic buildings across the state.
“The program encourages communities and private developers to invest in buildings that have contributed to a community’s history but now sit idle. These buildings can once again contribute to the economy through job creation and commercial opportunities,” according to the news release.
The state’s $6.1 million investment for the current round of the program is expected to leverage more than $13 million in private investment, the news release states.
TNECD partnered with the Tennessee Historical Commission to structure application requirements and review grant applications to ensure that each proposal would rehabilitate the structures while maintaining the historical integrity.
The Tennessee Historical Commission’s mission “is to protect, preserve, maintain and administer historic places and encourage the inclusive diverse study of Tennessee’s history for the benefit of future generations.”
“We are honored to participate with TNECD in this successful program that revitalizes historic buildings and energizes communities across our state. This round of funding will help restore iconic properties – such as county courthouses – as well as activate formerly vacant historic spaces for new and creative uses,” THC Executive Director and State Historic Preservation Officer Patrick McIntyre said in the news release.
