Three Rivers celebrates being quarterfinalist in America’s Best Communities

The city of Three Rivers staged a celebration Monday to recognize its standing as a quarterfinalist – one of 50 municipalities from an original field of 400 – in a competition called America’s Best Communities.
The achievement was acknowledged during a gathering at Belle Époque, where a major sponsor of the contest, Frontier Communications, provided the meal and the city $50,000 for making the cut.
Christy Trammell, executive director of the Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce and a major force behind the city’s entry, said the winning community from the pool of 50 will win $3 million toward a community-development project.
Trammell said a plan to turn the old hospital into viable housing was selected as the city’s project for the contest.
The group of 50 will be trimmed to 15 in November, though announcement of its qualifiers won’t be forthcoming until January. Entrants that make it to the final 15 will be given an additional $100,000. Then, a group of eight finalists will be announced later and assemble at a yet-to-be-determined location in April 2017 to hear the name of the winner of the $3 million award.
A draft of the hospital revitalization plan will be unveiled at 2 p.m. Sept. 23 at a location to be announced. The draft is being put together by Bob Gibbs of Birmingham-based Gibbs Planning Group.