By Taelor Rye
Given the reported success of the Downtown Development Authority’s (DDA) façade grant program, the Eastman City Council has approved a transfer of $10,000.00 to the DDA in the form of a resolution.
Funds will be transferred from a budgeted line item for downtown development activities, which reserves $15,000.00. After the transfer, $5,000.00 will remain allotted for that purpose.
The façade grant program encourages improvements to downtown businesses’ storefronts by having the city match up to $1,500.00 toward renovations. Concerning the program, city manager Jason Cobb explained, “We have seen an overwhelming support from those in the downtown area.”
City council member Buddy Pittman added that the DDA has already matched funds for four businesses downtown and that the DDA already has funding for three more approved businesses. The total for those seven businesses is $8,985.00.
As of the DDA’s most recent meeting last Thursday, five more businesses have been approved, pending funding. The $10,000.00 transfer will fund those five businesses, with $2,500.00 to go toward other businesses that are approved in the future.
Cobb noted that the program has encouraged business owners to make improvements far beyond the $1,500.00 matched by the city, and he said that a total of 12 businesses have committed to participating.
“It’s really been a very good program,” Cobb added.
The city has also released applications for participation in the first quarterly downtown yard sale, allowing yard sale vendors and food vendors the opportunity to reserve 10-by-10 foot slots along Main Street.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, September 9, 2017. Booths must be set up by 8:30 a.m. and taken down by 5:30 p.m.
Pittman clarified that, on the day of the yard sale, Main Street will still be open to traffic, so as not to impede access to downtown businesses that are open on Saturdays.
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