MORRISTOWN, Tenn. — Morristown is getting $2 million dollars from Tennessee to change the look of its downtown. The money comes from the state's Historic Development Grant Program.
The funds will pay for renovations to five historic buildings in the city's downtown. Mayor Gary Chesney of Morristown says this is a project that may improve the city's prominence.
The renovations will most focus on Main Street. Throughout the downtown area, most of the buildings and sidewalks were built in the 1960s. This investment will bring locals and out-of-towners to the Swinging Sixties.
"Since 1967, we've all had somebody come up to us and say, oh, yeah, Morristown, you got those overhead sidewalks?," said Mayor Chesney.
This type of development is called historic preservation.
It will turn buildings like the Appliance Warehouse into new apartments while maintaining the building's art deco style.
"Bringing in this kind of grant money is actually bringing the 21st century to a 19th-century development," Mayor Chesney said.
Five different sites in the downtown SkyMart building will receive a $400,000 transformation. Some business owners like Randy DeBord, who owns a business on Main Street, hope these changes bring more people to town.
"This effort will drive more people downtown and create an ongoing economic platform that will pay dividends for years and generations to come," said DeBord. "Morristown is a hidden gem because we can have so much activity going on, and there's many things to do."