A grant program to assist businesses with improvements to their buildings will be extended Blind River council approved at its virtual meeting.
The community improvement plan could be extended to 2027, council decided at its Monday meeting.
Council also approved increased funding for the program to $30,000 and gave preliminary support to extending the program to 2027 with $30,000 each year.
The program was started in 2018 and offers grants to business owners to improve the appearance of their storefronts. The owners can take advantage of the program by applying for up to 50 per cent of the cost provided by the town.
Program administrators work with the applicant to ensure projects are a success and worked out through the applicant’s timeline. Owners and merchants have flexible work schedules and time to complete projects. Reimbursements are available for many streams of funding.
Council recognized all businesses could benefit from the program and expanded it from a downtown initiative into a community-wide business opportunity. The intent is to attract visitors and increase sales at the town’s variety of businesses.
The town’s director of facilities and community services, Karen Bittner has been spearheading the community improvement program by assisting business owners with grant applications and planning.
“The municipality is proud to announce that both 2020 and 2021 earmarked funds have been requested by local owners and merchants alike,” Bittner said in a report to council Monday. “Over 30 application streams have been applied to.”
Bittner handles all applications with final approval coming from a community improvement committee.
“The community improvement plan focused on downtown in its first year,” said Garnet Young, president of the Blind River Chamber of Commerce in an earlier interview. “Many businesses used this to enhance signage, paint, and more. 2021 includes downtown and any business located within eyesight along Causley Street. 2022 will open to all businesses in Blind River wishing to enhance their accessibility, curb appeal, save energy, and more.”
A link to the program guide can be found here.