Haywood County Awarded $1 Million ThreeStar Grant for Downtown Revitalization Project

🎉 Big news for Haywood County!

Brownsville, TN – Haywood County has been awarded a $1,000,000 ThreeStar Grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) to support the development of a new coworking and meeting space on the Historic Jefferson Street corridor in downtown Brownsville.

The project, developed and submitted by the Brownsville Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, will renovate an existing building to create a shared workspace and meeting facility designed to support entrepreneurs, remote workers, small businesses, and community collaboration. The development will provide coworking space, private offices, and flexible meeting areas for workshops, trainings, and business gatherings.

The $1 million grant will fund the first phase of a three-phase redevelopment project, which will include renovation of the building’s first floor to establish core coworking and meeting space. Future phases will expand the facility to include additional offices, meeting areas, and collaboration space as resources allow.

Located on Historic Jefferson Street, the project will contribute to the revitalization of a corridor that once served as a thriving center of African American-owned businesses and economic activity in Haywood County. By reinvesting in this historic area, the project aims to activate underutilized space, encourage additional investment, and bring renewed energy to the downtown district.

The concept for the project was developed by Sheree Douglas, Executive Director of the Brownsville Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, who identified the need for a dedicated space that could support collaboration, entrepreneurship, and small business growth within the community.

“We are extremely grateful to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for this investment in Haywood County,” said Douglas. “This project will create a space where entrepreneurs, small businesses, and professionals can connect, collaborate, and grow while also contributing to the revitalization of Historic Jefferson Street.”

The ThreeStar program supports community and economic development initiatives across Tennessee by investing in projects that strengthen local economies and improve opportunities for residents, particularly in distressed communities.

Additional details about the project will be announced as development moves forward.