Thanks to a collaborative plan between the City of Elizabethton and the Downtown Business Association (DBA), the breezeway between Tweetsie Treats and The Coffee Company is about to be much more inviting.

The project includes the addition of eight tables or benches and three 25-30 foot trees in the walkway.

Elizabethton Director of Plannign and Economic Development Jon Hartman believes the project will have multiple benefits that align with the concept of placemaking.

DBA members felt that in combination with the restroom addition, this will make downtown much more inviting and will encourage visitors to stay a while downtown.

In his report to the City Council, Hartman said the success of various downtown businesses has created additional demand for more and better use of public space.

They will have a shaded seating area, in which Hartman said people could enjoy ice cream or hot dogs or a rest from shopping.

DBA and City Council approved the plan this month.

DBA member Joe Alexander expressed concerns that the trees would house birds which might relieve themselves on the tables if the trees are located in the center of the tables as the diagram illustrates.

The cost of the project is estimated at between $9,400 and $12,100, which Hartmans said could possibly be paid through a combination of grant funding and fundraising of the DBA.

Fundraising will begin soon and then hartman said the first priority will be getting the trees planted.