South Pittsburg Area Revitalization Quest (SPARQ) is excited to announce, June 30th marked the completion of our Tennessee Downtowns projects. Tennessee Downtowns is an affiliated program of Tennessee Main Street designed to help communities embark on a comprehensive revitalization effort for their downtown. This 24-month program coaches selected downtowns and their steering committees through the steps of launching an effective revitalization effort. Program space is limited and highly competitive. Activities in the program include training, site visits, regional workshops, webinars, technical assistance and an innovation project grant.

A dedicated community-based steering committee was formed to train on the programs grant process, review business applications for eligibility based on Tennessee Downtown Grant guidelines, and assist businesses throughout the program in filing all obligatory information. Seven South Pittsburg businesses plus the City itself, qualified for grant assistance to make improvements. The total amount of the grant was $15,000 divided equally among the 8 projects.   

Through collaboration with the City of South Pittsburg, Tennessee Downtowns Project and South Pittsburg Area Revitalization Quest (SPARQ), we continue to strive to make long-lasting impactful improvements to our community. We are grateful for the privilege of being designated as a Tennessee Downtown Community through this program and the vital assistance they provided for our local businesses.

Take a stroll through town to see the improvements and remember to support local business, they are the heart of our downtown community.  Enjoy the video of the before and after pictures of our local businesses.

To learn more about the Tennessee Downtowns program, visit tn.gov/ecd

The program is a three-stage initiative that cultivates collaboration among river communities around the Tennessee RiverLine, envisioned as a continuous system of paddling, hiking, and biking experiences along the Tennessee River’s 652-mile reach.

South Pittsburg will benefit from economic development and entrepreneurship opportunities, quality of life amenities, and increased access to river experiences that improve public health and stewardship of natural resources. In the third stage of the program, communities will earn the official designation of a Tennessee RiverTown as part of the Tennessee RiverLine.

Fall is in the air and we are excited to get rolling again! You may have seen or heard about SPARQ’s latest creative magic – Manhole Art! The first design featured none other than the Power “P”. This project is just the beginning. 

Earlier in the year at our SPARQ event many of you told us your hopes and dreams for South Pittsburg. We listened and are working hard to develop plans for projects both big and small. The SPARQ team has also taken the opportunity to apply and receive a number of grant opportunities. With this kind of work, it is so important that we keep hearing from you and receiving your support in any way that you can help.

Here is a recap of our SPARKLE event back in February…

• A community buzz of enthusiasm
• 40+ New Volunteers signed up to work on various projects 
• $839 Raised in Donations for SPARQ projects
• Survey Results – “What do you want to see happen in So. Pittsburg?”
  • Youth – a safe place for our youth to be play, learn, work and grow
  • Community – enhance and create community space for us to enjoy indoor and outdoor activities
  • Downtown – revitalize our downtown appearance, restore our buildings and bring in new businesses, giving us more places to shop, work and enjoy
  • River – Make the river a place for community activity and maximize the outdoor recreational opportunities that a river gives a community

We also asked for your thoughts in a community survey about recreation, arts & culture, and general wishes for our town’s improvement. We had over 150 responses, giving us some incredible insight and guidance. Thank you for your help!

What’s happening next month?

ART+OCTOBER = ARTober – We are adding color and livening up downtown by celebrating art and community. Using the power of art, we will highlight local artists, draw attention to our local businesses, and make the ordinary extraordinary! We look for this to be an annual event with more fun activities each year including food & drink events, concerts and more

• In celebrating ARTober, we are planning a “Window Take-over”.  We are taking over the windows of downtown South Pittsburg from the businesses to empty buildings! We plan to dress them up by featuring both local and youth artists. We will turn Cedar Ave. into our own Walking Art Gallery.
  If you are an artist or know an artist who would like to exhibit, click here to learn more and sign up. Deadline is 9/28.
• Learn about all the artist through our “Artist Spotlight” on sparqsp.org or the SPARQ Facebook page starting in October.
• More Manhole Art to come! Keep your eyes peeled for pops of color around downtown as we add new pieces to the project.

Next month…lots to share about grant opportunities and other fun and creative initiatives by SPARQ.
If you would like to volunteer for anything coming up in October, please click here to let us know how you can you help. Donations are always welcome!

Let’s get sparq’n!