October 21, 2021 | The Recipients of the T-Mobile Hometown Grants Program |
From left to right: Check ceremonies celebrating T-Mobile Hometown Grant recipients in Moses Lake, WA, Pittston, PA, and Laurinburg, NC. Photo Credit: Downtown Moses Lake Association, Pittston Redevelopment Authority, and Daniel Walters, City of Laurinburg.
Congratulations to the 25 recipients of the first round of the T-Mobile Hometown Grants Program! Grant recipients will put funds toward revitalizing community spaces that help to build stronger, more prosperous small towns and rural communities. T-Mobile partnered with Main Street America and Smart Growth America to determine the grant recipients based on completeness, alignment to brand values, community impact and viability of the project.
“We’re thrilled to work with T-Mobile and Smart Growth America to support these inspiring projects in rural communities across the country,” said Main Street America’s President and CEO Patrice Frey. “These grant recipients demonstrate the creativity and passion for place we’ve seen in Main Street communities for decades, and we're excited to see their projects take shape.”
This round of winning projects ranges from restoring a historic theater for performing arts in Dixon, IL to implementing park improvements in Pittston, PA. We’d like to give a special shout-out to the nine Main Street communities that received a grant:
- Batesville, Ind. - Batesville Main Street: Batesville will develop and design Inspiration Park in commemoration of 2020’s 100th anniversary of the Women’s Suffrage Movement, honoring the rich legacy of women who have shown vision and tenacity to become significant contributors to the Batesville Community.
- Clarksville, Ark.- Clarksville - Johnson County Chamber of Commerce: Clarksville will beautify and create the Levee Amphitheatre, a public space for the community. Plans include engaging a local artist to develop mural, installing a fountain, lighting, and more.
- Dixon, Ill. - Dixon Chamber of Commerce & Main Street: Dixon will revitalize the Dixon Historic Theatre, which plans to become a full-time performing arts center featuring touring shows, local productions, and other community events.
- Lake Orion, MI – Village of Lake Orion and Downtown Lake Orion: A collaborative effort between the Village of Lake Orion and Downtown Lake Orion, funds will go toward enhancing Green’s Park, by installing a new pavilion and playground.
- Laurinburg, N.C – City of Laurinburg: Laurinburg will install a dog park to boost the thriving retail community. Plans include installing wayfinding signage, fencing, and a fountain.
- Pittston, Pa. - City of Pittston/Redevelopment Authority: Pittston will beautify the community space between their firehouse and community library by adding plants, benches, and an art trail featuring QR plaques that identify each art piece.
- Raton, N.M. - Raton MainStreet & Arts and Cultural District: Raton will purchase and install monument signage and wayfinding signage to make their downtown more inviting to visitors, increase walkability, and improve connectivity between the various parts of the town
- Elgin, Texas - City of Elgin and the Elgin Main Street Program: A cooperative effort between the City and the Main Street program, Elgin’s project will expand the Veterans Memorial Park by converting an undeveloped, city-owned lot into an accessible outdoor classroom with Public WiFi, shade, and other amenities.
- Moses Lake, Wash. – Moses Lake Business Association: Moses Lake plans to set up a creative community incubator that will have art, live music, events, a lounge, maker space, and everything a person needs to feel inspired and channel their inner creativity. Their overarching goals are to establish a Creative District, provide a platform for local entrepreneurs to thrive, and bring an exciting “third place” to their community.
With T-Mobile's Hometown Grant program, they’re investing big in small towns by awarding up to 100 towns a year with project funding—up to $50,000 each. Interested in applying for a future Hometown Grant? Recipients are selected and awarded on a quarterly basis, so towns with populations less than 50,000 are eligible and encouraged to apply.
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