Tennessee Deputy Governor and TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter has announced the selection of seven communities—Dyer, Harriman, Henning, Medina, Moscow, Red Bank, and Rutledge—to participate in the tenth round of the Tennessee Downtowns program. This two-year initiative is designed to help local leaders revitalize historic commercial districts using the National Main Street Center’s Four-Point Approach®. By focusing on community livability, job creation, and the preservation of local history, the program aims to attract new investment and tourism to rural areas across the state.

Each selected community will receive specialized training for their steering committees and a $20,000 innovation grant to fund a specific downtown improvement project. To qualify, these towns demonstrated a readiness to organize based on Main Street America principles and possess commercial districts at least 50 years old. Participation serves as a strategic stepping stone; once completed, these communities become eligible for additional Downtown Improvement Grants and can eventually apply for national Main Street accreditation, joining the 49 other accredited communities currently thriving in Tennessee.