Grant will benefit downtown Ishpeming
Revitalizing facades
Grant will benefit downtown Ishpeming
By STEPHEN STACY, Journal Ishpeming Bureau
ISHPEMING — A group of local business owners gathered on Ishpeming’s Main Street Tuesday to watch as a $100,000 check from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority was presented to city officials.
The funds, part of $2.9 million in federal Community Development Block Grants, have been offered to18 Michigan communities in an effort to develop and revitalize downtown areas throughout the state.
Diane Karkau, MSHDA community assistance team specialist in Lansing, presented the ceremonial check.
“I would like to commend the city of Ishpeming for working hard to secure the funding for this important project,” Karkau said.
Ishpeming’s Main Street program and 10 downtown businesses participated in the grant application as part of the Facade Improvement Initiative that targets key downtown properties in need of physical improvements.
“This is our Main Street program at work — our businesses now have the money to enhance their business and hopefully draw more people into town,” said Councilman John Stone, who accepted the check on behalf of the city.
Jennifer Thum, Ishpeming Main Street Director, said that businesses participating in the program were required to contribute funds that could add up to $50,000. The money raised was then matched dollar-for-dollar by the federally funded grant program. Ishpeming businesses contributed more than $50,000.
“By the time you buy a building and fix it up, you can’t get out of it what you’ve put into it,” said David Aeh, co-owner of the Butler Theatre and Gateways buildings. “These grants are a way to leverage repairs and improvements and make it economically viable in a community like Ishpeming.”
As part of the agreement, store owners must hire new employees over a two-year period and improvements will be done by local contractors. Thum said that facade improvements could begin sometime this fall once all of the designs have been approved and bids are received. The improvements must be completed by the end of 2007.
It is anticipated that 13 full-time and 24 part-time jobs will be created in Ishpeming as a result of the project.
The Facade Improvement Initiative is one of three programs available through CDBG funding. Other programs include The Signature Building Initiative and The Land Assembly Initiative.
The Facade Improvement Initiative, according to MSHDA, is designed to assist communities in making physical improvements to an entire traditional downtown area, block or portion of a block that contains buildings and businesses in need of facade improvements.
For more information on the program, visit the MSHDA Web site at www.michigan.gov/mshda.
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