The City of Oak Ridge is pursuing a historic preservation grant that could be used to study priority historic areas and focus on preservation, the removal of blight, and the expansion of the tax base.
If awarded, the grant from the Tennessee Historical Commission could be worth up to $15,000. It would require a 40 percent local match.
The Oak Ridge City Council will consider accepting the grant, if it is awarded, during its regular meeting on Monday.
According to a resolution that Council will consider, the city could use the grant funds, if awarded, for a “more detailed analysis of priority areas in Oak Ridge’s historic district to help focus the city’s efforts more effectively for preservation, blight removal, and tax base expansion.”
Oak Ridge is a historic city built during World War II to enrich uranium for the world’s first atomic bombs as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project. The city also had a pilot facility for plutonium production, which was also part of the project to build the first atomic bombs.
Some historic structures and sites remain, both in the city and at U.S. Department of Energy sites, although many have been demolished.
Read the resolution that Council will consider Monday here.
The Council meeting on Monday will be virtual. It will start at 7 p.m. See the agenda here. You can watch the meeting here.
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