Yancey County Government is pleased to announce that they were awarded a $650,000 grant as part of the Rural Downtown Economic Development (RDED) Grants Program, from the NC Department of Commerce to begin renovation of the historic former Citizens Bank building on the Town Square. “The Rural Downtown Economic Development Grants program provides grants to local governments to support downtown revitalization and economic development initiatives that are intended to help local governments grow and leverage downtown districts as assets for economic growth, economic development, and prosperity by providing public improvements to help retain businesses and leverage main street assets for community-wide use.” Visit the Rural Economic Development Division webpage for more information about these grants and programs.
18 Town Square served as the Citizens Bank until 1972, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The Yancey County Public Library also made a home in the space until 2011, and serving as the Technology Center until Yancey County has had a vision to renovate and preserve the historical integrity of this building. Collaboration with Nealy Andrews, Executive Director of the Toe River Arts to make a future home at this location signifies the priority of engaging more locals and tourists alike to engage in the downtown area.
“We are so grateful to receive this grant, and begin renovations on this beautiful, historic building; many years of work have been put into this project, and will hopefully have cultural impact on generations to come,” said Commissioner Mark Ledford.