Tennessee Allocates $5.7M to Preserve Historical Buildings

TNECD announces $5.7 million in grants to renovate and preserve historical buildings across Tennessee.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the recipients of Tennessee Historic Development Grants, allocating nearly $6 million to renovate and preserve the state’s historic buildings. The program, approved by the Tennessee General Assembly in April 2021, aims to encourage communities and private developers to invest in buildings that have contributed to a community’s history but now sit idle, providing opportunities for job creation and commercial growth.

TNECD partnered with the Tennessee Historical Commission (THC) to structure application requirements and review grant applications, ensuring that each proposal would rehabilitate the structures while maintaining their historical integrity. The state’s $5.7 million investment is expected to leverage more than $13 million in private investment.

Grant recipients include individuals, developers, nonprofit organizations, and local government agencies across Tennessee. Projects range from rehabilitating theaters, churches, and post offices to revitalizing historic districts and preserving notable buildings such as the RC Kefauver House in Madisonville and the Sterick Building in Memphis.

To be eligible for a grant, structures must meet various criteria and qualify as certified historic structures, as defined by the TNECD. Additional information about the grant, eligibility, and application can be found on the TNECD website.

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Tennessee Merges Aging and Disability Agencies

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has signed a law merging the state’s Commission on Aging and Disability and Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities into a new Department of Disability and Aging, aiming to improve coordination and advocacy for the aging population and those with disabilities.