been designated by the city as the official downtown economic development program, receiving partial funding from the city. The remainder and majority of the organization's funding, however, comes from donations from downtown businesses. The Alliance has stated that it focuses on assisting businesses like specialty shops, restaurants, and bars because these types of businesses help downtown become more active during the day and at night. The Meridian Downtown Association, which is completely privately funded, is primarily focused on increasing foot traffic downtown by organizing special events, and the Meridian Main Street program supports existing businesses downtown. Other designed and proposed projects in the city include several museums in downtown and an African-American Business District on 5th Street, as well as several murals and public arts projects on various buildings' facades. Hotels Many historic hotels have existed in Meridian throughout its history. Even before Meridian reached its "Golden Age," several large hotels including the Great Southern and the Grand Avenue hotels were built around the start of the 20th century. With the growth of the railroads and the construction of the original Union Station in 1906, many hotels were constructed for passengers and workers. The Elmira Hotel was constructed in 1905, and the Terminal Hotel was constructed in 1910. Hotel Meridian was constructed in 1907, and Union Hotel was built in 1908. Union Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and both Hotel Meridian and Grand Avenue Hotel were listed as contributing properties to the Meridian Urban Center Historic District. As the city grew, the hotels grew as well, as evidenced by the eleven-story skyscraper Lamar Hotel built in 1927. Lamar Hotel today serves as a county annex building and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It was also listed as a Mississippi Landmark in 1988. Another historic hotel was established in 1931, the E.F. Young Hotel. A staple in the African American business district that grew west of the city's core, the hotel was one of the only places in the city a travelling African American could find a room. As the city became more suburb-focused in the 1960s and '70s, most hotels moved outside of downtown, but there has been a push for a new downtown hotel, sparked by the rehabilitation of the Riley Center in 2006. The Threefoot Building has been the main focus of these efforts; however,