Athens, Pikeville and Rockwood are among 12 Tennessee cities that were selected Tuesday to participate in Tennessee Downtowns, a community improvement program for cities seeking to revitalize traditional commercial districts.
The nine other cities selected by the Tennessee Department of Economic Community and Development are Brownsville, Centerville, Henderson, Lewisburg, Linden, McKenzie, Mountain City, Red Boiling Springs and Smithville, according to a news release.
Communities selected to participate in Tennessee Downtowns will form a volunteer committee of local residents who will participate in a multimonth training curriculum supported by the National Main Street Center, the release says.
The curriculum is designed to teach residents about comprehensive, sustainable downtown revitalization and historic preservation.
The training includes attendance at a two-day downtown revitalization workshop and a grant to complete individualized downtown development projects.