ROCKWOOD SECURES $100,000 STATE GRANT TO REVITALIZE DOWNTOWN
Rockwood City Administrator Becky Ruppe recently expressed excitement over the city’s receipt of a $100,000 Downtown Improvement Grant from the State of Tennessee, part of a larger $4.3 million initiative announced by Governor Bill Lee and TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter to support rural community revitalization.
The funding, facilitated through the East Tennessee Development District, will allocate $50,000 toward enhancements at Homecoming Park in Rockwood’s downtown and another $50,000 as reimbursable loans to local businesses for façade improvements, signage, and similar projects. Businesses must pay upfront costs and receive 80% reimbursement after state approval of plans, with the city potentially redirecting some of its park funds to support additional business projects if demand exceeds the allocated amount.
This grant is one of 16 awarded statewide, including several in East Tennessee communities like Athens, Crossville, and Elizabethton, aimed at boosting tourism, economic development, and quality of life through upgrades to building facades, signage, gateways, and streetscapes.
