In March the Downtown Development Authority's Design Review Committee approved Facade Incentive applications from Shannon Lyons and Cathy McBride for the old Harvey building at 143 S. Front St., where both the front and rear facades will be redone.
Later this construction season, following the upcoming purchase by Greg and Tia Dady of the green storefront of Zeke's, interior renovation will take place, as well as exterior upgrades on the front, side and rear of the building.
"As people continue to invest in the central business district, it is exciting to see new life pumped into these properties, which benefits the entire downtown," said Vickie Phillipson, DDA & Chamber of Commerce program director.
Mayor and Council annually allocate $10,000 to the DDA Facade Incentive Program. “Administered on a matching-funds basis, building owners are eligible to receive an incentive of up to $2,000 per storefront,” Phillipson said.
Guidelines encourage property owners to renovate the exterior of their building as close as possible to what the structure looked like when it was built. Turn-of-the-century storefronts are to represent a full renovation, including removal of non-conforming materials. The facade program, which was initiated by the DDA during the late-1980s, is credited with having led to the removal of much of the old Kawneer metal storefronts and awnings.
Property owners who would like to make application to the Facade Incentive Program may call the DDA at 782-8212 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
