Downtown Lenoir City - Loudon County Economic Development

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Downtown Lenoir City is fertile ground
for development and revitalization.
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enoir City is making a
significant commitment to its
downtown business district with
infrastructure improvements. The
classic architecture common to small
town streetscapes remains intact for
re-development by entreprenural
pioneers and Lenoir City leaders are
promoting just such a renaissance.
The desire to retain the small town
environment of Lenoir City is strong
and a perfect fit for those who seek
an alternative to urban sprawl.
The quiet, peaceful
atmosphere of
Lenoir City, its friendly
people, and the beautiful
scenery of its rolling
hillsides are an inviting
blend of small town
intimacy and progressive,
purposeful growth.
Lenoir City is strategically positioned
near the intersection of interstates 75 and 40
and State scenic highway 321 runs right
through town on its way to the Great Smoky
Mountains and Gatlinburg Tennessee.
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LIVE
Rapid commercial growth along
• Residential historic district
• Most densley populated area in Loudon County
• Residential areas located within walking distance of retail
shops and services
Highway 321 has created a
viable business corridor that has
energized the area and provided
a shopping resource for the
WORK
• Tennessee Career Center
• Ft. Loudoun Industrial Park employing over 950 employees
• Professional Services including: legal, engineering, financial,
insurance, medical, and real estate
• Municipal services: City Government, Fire Department, Lenoir
City Utilities Board, Parks and Recreation, Police Department,
Public Library, United States Post Office
PLAY
• Local parks, lakes, Great Smoky Mountain National Park
• Trails and greenways
• Ft. Loudon Marina - Tennessee’s largest marina
• Downtown street festivals and parades
• Local museum
LEARN
• Roane State Community College
• Lenoir City Public Library
• Workforce Development Training Center
SHOP
• Decades of successful retail businesses
• Located on U.S. Highway 11 with daily traffic count of 14,330
• Excellent location for small, entrepreneurial,
and niche businesses
• Antique shops on main route of U.S.
Highway 11 Antique Alley
upscale residential
neighborhoods and golf courses
that are developing nearby. The
natural beauty of the lakes and
rivers that intersect in Lenoir
City are being discovered by
residential developers and
responsible growth is inevitable.
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Town Creek Greenway
Roane State
HISTORIC BUSINESS DISTRICT
HISTORIC BUSINESS DISTRICT
Lenoir City Library
City Hall
Town Creek
Lenoir City Museum
The Old Mill
Historic
Business
District
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Roane State
Community
College
Lenoir City
Municipal
Library
enoir City was founded in 1840 and
incorporated in 1907. It was named
primarily after General William Lenoir,
and secondarily for his son, William Ballard
Lenoir, who built and operated one of the first
cotton mills in the South. The city offers a wide
range of recreational opportunities and facilities,
including a new municipal swimming pool, a new
walking and biking trail, a new 7 acre park with
soccer fields and an outdoor basketball court.
The Old
Cotton Mill
Historic
Business
District
Town Creek
Greenway
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Did You Know…
• there are over 1,000 employees in
the downtown area daily
• 43,387 is the population of
Loudon County
• 7,403 live in Lenoir City
• there are 3 parks (walkable from
downtown), 8 hotels, and over 50
eateries
• Founded in 1840, Lenoir City was
incorporated in 1907.
• Lenoir City is a direct route to the
Great Smoky Mountains National
Park, the nation’s most visited
park, serving over nine million
visitors annually.
• Lenoir City lies along the
Tennessee River and Ft. Loudoun
Lake - home of TVA’s Fort
Loudoun Dam and Tellico Lake.
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DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES
Restaurants
• The Lenoir City Arts & Crafts
Festival draws over 10,000 visitors
annually to the City.
• The Annual Tennessee State BBQ
Championship & Festival is held
in Lenoir City Park.
• Rockin’ the Docks Summer
Concert Series is held in Lenoir
City Park.
• Lenoir City boasts a 1 3/4 mile
walking and/or biking trail known
as Town Creek Greenway
• Rarity Bay, Rarity Pointe,
Tennessee National, and Tellico
Village are resort-style
communities located within
10 miles of downtown
• Asahi Japanese Grill
• Brooklyn’s Original Pizza
• Dairy Queen
• Leo’s Pulled Pig Barbeque Restaurant
• Sonic
Commercial Retail/Service
• AAA Nutrition
• Antiques West
• Advanced Transmission
• Allen’s Antiques
• Broadway Florist
• Carol’s Flowers & Gifts
• Construction Design & Management
• Cornerstone Custom Design
• Curves Fitness Center
• E.W. Jenkins Supply Company
• Gene’s-Bowden’s Flowers
• Gray’s Auto Parts
• Greene’s Classic Cars & Service Center
• Impressions Photography
• Jackson & Runyon, P.C.
• J.W. Wilburn True Value
Hardware & Lumber Supply
• Lanham Furniture & Applicances
Just blocks away from the
downtown business district is a
residential historic district. The
homes in this area are protected
by zoning guidelines and
regulations and many have
been restored and are open
during seasonal home tours.
The historic residential district is
located within easy walking
distance of the downtown area.
• Lock Medic
• Loudon County Sportsman
• Loudon County Upholstery
• Nelson Tire
• Presstige Print, Copy, & Shipping Store
• Sproul and Hinton Attorneys
• Tilley Lane Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, Jeep
• Timesavers Cleaners
Financial Institutions
• AmSouth Bank
• FSG Bank
• First National Bank
• World Finance
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Downtown Business
Incentive Program
What is the Function of the Program?
The Downtown Lenoir City Business Program offers
opportunities and advantages for every retail and
service business in the downtown central business
district. The downtown central business district is
highlighted in the inset map. The program offers a
proactive approach offering incentives for:
• New or existing businesses located or relocating to
the downtown central business district
• Refurbishing of buildings by property owners
Additionally, the incentive program improves the
exposure of downtown Lenoir City through the
following marketing efforts:
• Encouragement of downtown merchants doing
business with neighboring downtown merchants
• Press releases
• Historic Downtown Lenoir City marketing brochures
• Promotion of downtown events
BUSINESS INCENTIVES:
Storefront Grant Program:
• Adopted in 2003, this is a facade improvement
plan for downtown businesses. The City pays 60%
of total expense up to $7500. Example: $10,000
expense receives $6000 reimbursement.
Financial Services:
• Downtown Low-Interest Loan Program through
local funding partners.Up to $25,000 available per
applicant at rates below prime.
• Tennessee Valley Authority low-interest loan
program - up to $10,000 for every job created is
available with a maximum loan of $150,000. Loans
are offered through a participation agreement with a
qualified local financial institution.
Utilities:
• LCUB offers incentives through connection/tap
fees. Please call LCUB for more information
• TVA Energy Right Program - Free energy audit
Advertisting and Printing:
• News-Herald/Village Connection provides a 3x7
ad, with Chamber Membership, a $325 value
which includes ad design
• Prestige Printing provides 1 free
box of business cards
City-Wide Newsletter:
Reaching over 3,000 residents in Lenoir City, a new
business will be profiled in the Lenoir City Newsletter
quarterly.
Eligibility
Businesses complying with the following
qualifications are eligible for participation in the
Downtown Lenoir City Business Incentive Program:
1. Business is located within the physical boundaries
of the downtown central business district as defined
by Lenoir City
2. Business is retail or service oriented
3. Business is open for business at a minimum of 24
hours per week
4. Recommended that business joins and participates
in the Loudon County Chamber of Commerce
5. New business consults with SCORE*, the
Tennessee Small Business Development Center**,
or other business consultant in developing a
business plan
6. Business participates in the Downtown Lenoir City
Visual Improvement Program if the property is
included on the downtown redevelopment priority
list
7. Adult sexually oriented businesses are excluded
from the incentive program
For more information regarding eligibility for the
Lenoir City Downtown Incentive Program, please
call City Hall at 986-2715 or LCEDA at 458-8889
* SCORE (Service Corp of Retired Executive) is a
service provided through the Loudon County
Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business
Administration. SCORE offers free and confidential
small business advice and training. For more
information, please call 865-458-2067.
**Tennessee Small Business Development Center
offers free assistance to help business owners grow
and develop successful, thriving businesses.
Vaughn Williams, owner and
operator of Impressions
Photography, has seen his business
thrive in its current downtown
location which opened in 1989. “It
is much faster, as a business, to
establish your own identity in a
small town,” stated Williams whose
business has made the transition
from film photography to digital
photography. Having been a
recipient of Lenoir City’s VIP
Program, Williams has recently
redone the facade of his building. “I
like small towns, the business
environment in Lenoir City and
Loudon County is more
advantageous to my business,”
noted Williams.
Juanita and Jim Pearman have
owned and operated Antiques West
in downtown Lenoir City for over six
years. Their love of antiques is
evident throughout their store with
each piece being very well taken
care of. While 80% of their business
is from out-of-state their success
downtown is attributed to their love
of community. “It’s our responsibility
to take care of our own city and our
own town,” stated Ms. Pearman.