Savannah selected for historic downtown grant

SAVANNAH, Tenn. — Downtown Savannah is ready for a new phase of restoring its historic buildings thanks to a $100,000 grant from the state.

“A lot of these buildings have a lot of work that needs to be done to them,” Assistant City Manager Seth Sumner said.

Sumner said they received a $25,000 grant two years ago and were able to transform the side of one of the historic buildings. Now it’s time for another phase, but businesses will decide how the grant will be used.

“What we will be able to do with this is go back to our property owners and have them go through the application process and tell us what their needs are for their buildings,” Sumner said.

As the holiday season approaches, Sumner said many will drive from across the region to see downtown. That’s why they’re putting such an emphasis on this area of the city.

“Our ‘Main Street’ program focuses on our historic core to make it as strong as possible for all of the city to prosper,” Sumner said.

The city had to match 25 percent of the grant, and businesses will also be allowed to contribute to projects as well.

In West Tennessee, Bolivar and Dyersburg received similar grants.

Grants totaling nearly $750,000 were awarded across the state.