DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION

Dust and dirt, plus horses and buggies, characterized the Centerville Public Square...until the late 1920s, when the all-new Highway 48/100 was paved through Centerville.  In 2004, the roadway still goes around the square, still encircles the Courthouse.  But it's not the same place: cars wiz through, 18-wheeled tractor-trailers and mobile homes tenderly make the curves, trying not to clip a light pole or parked car.  Much of the traditional retail business has moved out of the downtown, replaced by service-based industry....and, increasingly, tourism-friendly businesses, such as antique stores and the new Grinders Switch Center, which preserves the memory of our famous cousin, Minnie Pearl.

In cooperation with the Town of Centerville, the nonprofit Historic Downtown Centerville, Inc., is seeking major improvements.  One of them is acquisition of a Tennessee Department of Transportation Enhancement Grant for $625,000; the Town of Centerville has pledged $125,000 toward that.  Efforts to win the support of Governor Phil Bredesen for the major portion, $500,000, continue.  That grant, which relies upon the funding decisions made by the U.S. Congress, is a vital part of the overall improvement project for downtown Centerville.

The enhancement grant calls for the expansion of the Courthouse Lawn, installation of more pedestrian-friendly "greenspace", including lawns, lighting and improved sidewalks, trees and ground cover, and the creation of additional parking spaces in current vacant or otherwise unused lots surrounding the square.  The drawings below represent an architect's view of what our square could possibly look like.

WHAT COULD OUR PUBLIC SQUARE EVENTUALLY LOOK LIKE?
	< Before | After >

WHY IS THIS PLAN SO IMPORTANT TO US?

The state Department of Transportation has agreed to reroute Highway 48/100 straight through the Square, eliminating the need for pass-through traffic to circle the Courthouse . . . and risk damage, in the case of large vehicles. 

Already, through a grant provided by USDA Rural Development, an architect has evaluated facades and store fronts around the Public Square, making a comprehensive set of recommendations to building owners, most of whom have expressed interest in ways to go about improving their looks. Awnings, paint, windows -- some buildings have been done already; others are trying to match limited finances with slower upgrades. Improvements to private buildings will be accented by the federal enhancement grant monies that would focus on the public areas of the Square.

On May 12, 2005, a bigger-than-life-size bronze statue of Minnie Pearl -- born Sarah Ophelia Colley in Centerville (near Grinder's Switch) -- was unveiled on the Courthouse lawn; it's the $150,000 product of a Montana sculptor, Bill Rains, and Centerville talent producer Rod Harris. In attendance were a multitude of Hickman County students, who were urged to follow the late country comedienne's example and chase their dreams. This project will add to this project and create a place for the statue to shine.

The enhancement grant would allow creation of more pedestrian-friendly "greenspace," including lawns, lighting and improved sidewalks, trees and ground cover, which is important as the Public Square changes. Specifically, most of the county government offices in the Courthouse moved off the square in 2008, freeing that building up for other community based offerings. Already, the County Archives and Historical Society is there; a formal museum has long been a goal, featuring documents plus artwork, and perhaps offices for community-based organizations. Recreation-type uses will be encouraged by a visitor-friendly Public Square, which is what the enhancement grant will help create.

The governing board of the Town of Centerville is studying ways that it can make the Public Square even more friendly. Specifically, aldermen are looking at how they can create more parking in the areas around the Square, encouraging managers and employees to use those spaces, freeing up more parking for visitors. The enhancement grant will support this initiative, by returning the Public Square to its traditional status as a destination.

Efforts to create a permanent memorial to Minnie Pearl advanced with the opening of the Grinders Switch Center, on the Public Square. The Grinders Switch Foundation is being established to lead the preservation effort here -- featuring a museum of her artifacts, souvenirs and a live radio broadcast of traditional country music every Saturday morning -- and work toward the establishment of a permanent tourist attraction, in a depot off a spur at Grinders Switch itself, is moving ahead. Enhancing the Public Square makes Centerville and Grinders Switch more attractive to the thousands of tourists who already visit nearby sites recognizing the contributions of Loretta Lynn, near Waverly, and the late President James K. Polk, in Columbia, to name just two.