BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Telegraph Staff Writer
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS—During its February meeting, the city council approved expansions to its 2023 façade grant program.
The city’s community redevelopment agency will fund improvements to business buildings within the municipality’s redevelopment area, which mostly straddles South Lawrence Boulevard.
Grants will be provided for painting, signs, lighting, awnings, windows, doors, landscaping, pedestrian amenities and external structural improvements.
In a program that ended in 2016, the city provided grant funding for commercial signs to help businesses comply with the municipality’s new sign ordinance.
During its February meeting, the council expanded the façade program to include parking lot improvements, including dumpster enclosures.
The council also widened the availability of the program from businesses facing State Road 21 and State Road 100 to those facing side roads like Oriole Street, Nightingale Street and Sylvan Way.
Under the program, the city’s redevelopment agency will match 50% of a building owner’s costs. The maximum grant amount is $5,000; to obtain $5,000, the building owner would have to spend $10,000 of his or her funds.
Grant applications are due on March 17, which drew a complaint from downtown building owner Karen Nelson, who said contractors are not timely responding to requests for work and a March 17 application deadline might be impracticable for building owners.
“People don’t return calls anymore,” she said. “They don’t want to work. It’s just going to be frustrating.”
Mayor Karen Lake said the city could change the deadline if Nelson’s prediction turns out to be true.
In a program that ended in 2016, the city provided grant funding to help businesses comply with the municipality’s new sign ordinance. The 2023 façade grant program will cover a broader range of improvements.
