Lebanon Certified as a Tennessee Main Street Community
NASHVILLE—The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced today Lebanon, located in Wilson County, has achieved Tennessee Main Street certification. The community joins 25 other Tennessee Main Street communities that are certified through the state program and accredited by the National Main Street Center, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
“Creating vibrant downtown districts that support businesses and draw-in community members and visitors alike, is an important part of Tennessee’s culture and distinctive appeal in a global economy. Strong downtowns signal a healthy local economy and show companies looking to expand or move why Tennessee is the best place to do business,” ECD Commissioner Bill Hagerty said. “I congratulate Lebanon on their achievement and welcome them to the Main Street community.”
“Lebanon has both momentum and vision for realizing the full potential their historic downtown can achieve as part of a comprehensive and effective economic development strategy,” Tennessee Main Street Director Todd Morgan said. “They will be a wonderful addition to the Main Street network and I look forward to working with the community.”
“Becoming a part of the Main Street program has been a goal for Lebanon the last ten years,” Lebanon Mayor Philip Craighead said. “Changes in the dynamics of our historic downtown and the city's plan for the future of this area make the acceptance of Lebanon into the program a very timely announcement. Being a Main Street community takes our efforts to the next level and we thank the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for this opportunity.”
"The Main Street designation is a very important step forward for our community and Cumberland University is proud to be a part of the Historic Lebanon,” Cumberland University President Dr. Harvill Eaton said. “Cumberland University partnered with Historic Lebanon in late 2012 with the goal of becoming a part of the Main Street program. Their partnership allowed for the hiring of an executive director and continued support of Historic Lebanon's mission.
“Our incredible City of Lebanon, Tenn., being awarded the renowned designation of a Main Street Community will have positive ripple effects for many years to come,” Todd Tressler II, Founder/Attorney, Tressler & Associates, PLLC said. “Kim Parks as the Director of Historic Lebanon should be commended for her outstanding efforts in leading the way—along with many other of our fantastic citizens here in Lebanon. It’s an exciting time for our city and our law firm is blessed to be in position to share an integral role within the community as we continue to build on now being one of the very few distinct Main Street Communities in the entire state of Tennessee.”
“Historic Lebanon is proud to represent the Main Street mission for Lebanon,” Historic Lebanon Executive Director Kim Parks said. “Our community leaders and citizens have shown great support for this cause and we believe our efforts towards the economic revitalization and preservation of our historic Public Square and surrounding neighborhood will be greatly enhanced by becoming a Main Street community.”
Tennessee Main Street provides technical assistance and guidance for communities in developing common sense solutions to make downtowns safe, appealing, vibrant places where folks want to shop, live and make memories.
In 2012, certified Main Street communities generated more than $82 million of public/private investment and created 604 new jobs.
Lebanon’s designation is based upon a successful application submitted by the city of Lebanon. The Tennessee Main Street Program application requires communities to illustrate a strong commitment to a Main Street Program from city/county government, an adequate organizational budget, a commitment to hire staff, a strong historic preservation ethic, a collection of historic buildings and a walkable, historic commercial district.
There are currently 26 certified Main Street program communities across Tennessee: Bristol, Cleveland, Collierville, Columbia, Cookeville, Dandridge, Dayton, Dyersburg, Fayetteville,
Franklin, Gallatin, Greeneville, Jackson, Jonesborough, Lebanon, Leiper’s Fork, Kingsport, Lawrenceburg, McMinnville, Murfreesboro, Morristown, Rogersville, Tiptonville, Savannah, Union City and Ripley.
Tennessee Main Street operates under the National Main Street Center, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information about the Tennessee Main Street Program, please visit www.tennesseemainstreet.org. For more on the National Main Street Center, visit www.mainstreet.org.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies, which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tn.gov/ecd. Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.
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