Brownsville and Winchester are 27th and 28th Cities Added to Historic Program
NASHVILLE—The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced today Brownsville, located in Haywood County and Winchester, located in Franklin County, have achieved Tennessee Main Street certification. These communities join 26 other Tennessee Main Street communities that are certified through the state program and accredited by the National Main Street Center, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
“Our Main Street program continues to expand, adding new communities to a robust network of unique historical districts that set our state apart. These cultural centers are vital to preserving and celebrating our state’s identity and also serve to promote new economic growth from within, as well as outside investments,” Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty said. “I congratulate Brownsville and Winchester on their achievement and welcome them to the Main Street community.”
“Both Winchester and Brownsville have been actively working on their downtowns in recent years and they are ready for the next step, which is formal acceptance into the Tennessee Main Street program and national accreditation as Main Street communities,” Tennessee Main Street Director Nancy Williams said. “They are highly motivated and organized and we look forward to working with them as the newest members of our program.”
Tennessee Main Street provides technical assistance and guidance for communities in developing common sense solutions to make downtowns safe, appealing, vibrant places where folks want to shop, live and make memories.
In 2013, certified Main Street communities generated more than $59 million of public/private investment and created 646 new jobs.
There are currently 28 certified Main Street program communities across Tennessee: Bristol, Brownsville, Cleveland, Collierville, Columbia, Cookeville, Dandridge, Dayton, Dyersburg, Fayetteville, Franklin, Gallatin, Greeneville, Jackson, Jonesborough, Lebanon, Kingsport, Lawrenceburg, McMinnville, Murfreesboro, Morristown, Ripley, Rogersville, Sweetwater, Tiptonville, Savannah, Union City and Winchester.
Brownsville and Winchester’s designations are based upon successful applications submitted by the cities. The Tennessee Main Street Program application requires communities to illustrate a strong commitment to a Main Street Program from city/county government, an adequate organizational budget, a commitment to hire staff, a strong historic preservation ethic, a collection of historic buildings and a walkable, historic commercial district.
Tennessee Main Street operates under the National Main Street Center, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information about the Tennessee Main Street Program, please visit www.tennesseemainstreet.org. For more on the National Main Street Center, visit www.mainstreet.org.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
Tennessee was named “2013 State of the Year” for economic development by Business Facilities magazine. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. The department seeks to attract new
corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tn.gov/ecd. Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.
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