The Caseville Downtown Development Authority has awarded just over $47,000 in grant funding through its facade grant for businesses to improve the visual appearance of the downtown district of Caseville.
Of the 13 applicants, 12 of them received funding for things like landscaping, window work, and maintenance. According to the City Clerk Jamie Learman, who also sits on the DDA, the one applicant who did not receive funding will be reconsidered in September once more information is brought to the board.
The grant awarded a 50% match to projects up to $5,000 with six of the applications requesting the maximum.
“It was easy working with the DDA,” said Charlotte Ignash, owner of Caseville One Stop Shop. “We plan on making some exterior improvements with the graphic and painting (the building), things like that. This is really beneficial for small businesses to benefit from. We work really hard and it’s nice to get a financial break every once and a while.”
Other projects like the Harbor Light Condos will be making repairs and working on landscaping around its entrance.
“We’re right on Main Street, so it is a noticeable property,” said Alisha Collin, president of the Home Owners Association Board. “The landscaping is around 20 years old. The DDA was easy to work with and we appreciate them accepting our application. We are excited to receive this funding. Landscaping work is expected to start in the fall.”
Some projects will be incorporating fixes to the structure and overall construction of the building, such as Keller Williams Lakeside. According to Brad Winningham at KW Lakeside, the improvements will make some much-needed maintenance and repairs to the building. They will be replacing the sub-pump line and raising the landscape around it, as well as adding new gutters and downspouts to redirect rain runoff from the roof. They will also be painting and power washing the building to make the building look better for the city.
“We want to brighten things up and make things brighter to the city,” said Winningham. “We are trying to add to the community and be a part of the community.”
Other businesses awarded were Beachy’s, Lefty’s, Parkview Party Store, the Rainbow Motel, Lemon Tree Marketplace, and Wildfowl Bay Inc.
Each project has one full year to complete the work and use the funding provided by the DDA.
