McCreary County, Kentucky is among the most economically distressed counties in the United States — historically reliant on timber and coal, with no incorporated municipalities. In August 2023, an RGI team including downtown-revitalization pioneer Billy Parrish spent two days on a self-funded on-site assessment of the county's assets and challenges.
Despite the legacy of decline, the team found real momentum: gigabit broadband, a well-run county airport, the historic district of Stearns, and growing manufacturing investment.
From assessment to fundable plan
RGI's roadmap centered on a unifying county-wide vision and action plan, “Character Areas” with tailored Small Area Plans for Stearns, Whitley City, Pine Knot, and Parkers Lake, a proactive approach to recruiting housing developers, and a strategy to attract remote workers.
Building on the assessment, RGI prepared roughly $1 million in federal and state grant applications — including a US EDA Distressed Area Recompete proposal, an Appalachian Regional Commission pre-application, and a USDA Rural Business Development grant — to fund the county's multi-year strategic plan and small-area planning work.
