Suffolk News-Herald

Suffolk projects and individuals won four of the five major awards presented recently at the Virginia Downtown Development Corporation conference in Roanoke.

Tourism Director Lynette Brugeman announced at Wednesday’s City Council meeting that the Award of Excellence for Individual Achievement was awarded to Downtown Development Director Elizabeth McCoury.

&uot;For five years Elizabeth has been working hard to bring the businesses we need downtown,&uot; said Brugeman, who referred to McCoury as Suffolk’s &uot;Downtown Diva.&uot;

The awards were for cities of population from 25,000 to 75,000. Other recognitions included the award of excellence for organization to the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts Foundation; the award of excellence for plans and streetscapes went to the George Washington Carver Circle project, part of the Fairgrounds Revitalization Plan; and an award of merit for building development was presented to Marathon Development Corporation for the development of the Professional Building, which now houses the Suffolk Public Schools administrative offices.

Brugeman called the awards &uot;no small achievement.&uot;