News Honeoye Falls Downtown Businesses Receive Sign and Façade Grants
Downtown Businesses Receive Sign and Façade Grants
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- Written by BECKY MCKEOWN
LIVINGSTON COUNTY — The Livingston County Development Corporation announced that they will give another round of sign and façade grants to businesses in downtown Geneseo, Mount Morris, Nunda, Dansville and Lima.
The five towns receiving the grant are all part of the Livingston County Villages Downtown Program. Designated downtown districts in these towns will receive $60,000 in new funds for new business signs and façades.
“When the downtown buildings are improved, the entire community benefits,” wrote Louise Wadsworth, Downtown Coordinator for Livingston County, in an email. “The downtown is the ‘face’ of the community and so when people visit their impression of the town is based quite a bit on what the downtown looks like. An attractive downtown will encourage people to get out of their cars and shop.”
Design guidelines specific to each community have been set, and all projects using these funds must comply with the guidelines. The maximum grant award is $5,000 per building, with at least a 50% match required by the owner. Any size project will be considered.
“The principals detailed in these guidelines are proven to benefit businesses,” wrote Wadsworth. “For example: perpendicular signs are encouraged. These add charm and character to the central business district and encourage pedestrian traffic. It’s important for people to feel like the Main Street businesses are catering to them.”
In last spring’s first round of funding, 28 applications requesting over $100,000 in funding were received. Funds were given to 19 projects in the five communities for a total of $71,000. These projects are now in the final stages of completion and are expected to leverage over $268,000 in private investment for improvements to downtown businesses and buildings.
An informational meeting for interested applicants will occur on Nov, 29 at 7p.m. or on Nov. 30 at 8:30 a.m. Application and grant guidelines will be available at that time. Applications are due Jan. 31. Awards will be made in March, in time for the spring construction season.
Applicants must be building owners or business owners.
For more information or to RSVP, please contact Louise Wadsworth at 585-243-7124.
