Downtown businesses awarded grants for exterior improvements

Laredo Grill was awarded a mini-grant to replace outside awnings, which were damaged during ice and snow storms in February. (Caitlan Butler/News-Times)
Laredo Grill was awarded a mini-grant to replace outside awnings, which were damaged during ice and snow storms in February. (Caitlan Butler/News-Times)

Main Street El Dorado has awarded nearly $15,000 in mini-grants to help cover exterior improvement projects for several downtown businesses.

Nine businesses received funding this year as a part of the MSE mini-grant program, which provides 50% matching funds, typically up to $1,500, for interior and exterior -- such as painting, lighting, flooring and awnings -- improvement projects that are approved for businesses within the MSE footprint.

The Main Street District encompasses most of the downtown area and extends south along Washington Avenue to Hillsboro/U.S. 82 B.

However, this year, MSE increased the maximum mini-grant award to $5,000 and doled out fewer grants than usual to fund larger projects, per the direction of Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism (ADPHT).

In May, MSE was awarded a $25,000 Downtown Revitalization Grant (DTRG), a program that is funneled through the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.

The program is an arm of the ADPHT.

A portion of the $25,000 DTRG is used for MSE mini-grants.

Hurst encouraged Main Street and Arkansas Downtown Network (ADN) programs who received DTRGs this year to consider larger mini-grants to help fund projects that are likely to make more of an economic impact within local communities.

MSE heeded that call, awarding just under $14,000 to nine businesses -- down 50% from the 18 mini-grants that were awarded in 2020 with smaller amounts -- and focusing only on exterior projects.

Brumley said most of the projects that were submitted this year were for awnings and signage.

Greg Harrison - Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, 116 E. Elm, was the only business that received the maximum, $5,000 mini-grant award for a major improvement project that includes the restoration of existing building masonry; replacement of broken window lintels and second-story windows; installation of new second-story window awnings; replacing and repairing the trim around windows and doors; and repainting the existing trim.

The work will also cover the adjacent property at 114 E. Elm.

In August 2020, the El Dorado Historic District Commission granted a Certificate of Appropriateness for the Ameriprise project -- contingent upon commissioners' approval of the new window profile.

COAs are required for exterior projects that are likely to affect the architectural and historic integrity of the city's commercial historic district, which largely covers downtown El Dorado.

Local architect Michael Rogers, of MR Designs, later submitted the specifications for the new windows that are to be installed.

Rogers told the EHDC in June that the renovations also include interior work and the overall project is being completed in phases, as funding becomes available.

At the time, he said Harrison and the MR Design team planned to apply for a mini-grant from Main Street El Dorado to assist with the project.

"Greg Harrison was the only one who got the full $5,000 and there was one business that got $4,000," said Brumley. "Several got the maximum they requested. If their project is $1,900, then they got ($950)."

"A few of (the projects) are awnings, a few are signage. Greg Harrison's is a bigger project, having to replace brick and windows," she continued.

Aug. 20 was the deadline to submit mini-grant applications and the awards were announced a few weeks later.

Brumley said some of the projects for which mini-grants were awarded have already been completed.

Laredo Grill, 200 E. Main, and Too Spoiled Rotten, 207 E. Main, have used their grants to put up new awnings.

"Laredo Grill's awnings were demolished during the ice storms, the snowstorms (in February), so they had to get all new awnings and all new hardware," Brumley said.

Another downtown business, Pupp's BBQ, 101 E. Main, is preparing a COA request for new signage that will be covered by a mini-grant, she said.

The request will be presented to the EHDC, who previously said it was expecting Pupp's to submit a COA application.

Today is the deadline to submit COAs for the historic district commission's next regular meeting on Nov. 11.

Brumley said Main Street Arkansas has provided signs to display in the windows of businesses that use mini-grants to partially fund improvement projects.

Projects must be completed by Feb. 22 to be eligible for reimbursement from the mini-grant program. Brumley emphasized there will be no exceptions for the deadline.

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