4 Shen buildings to use US grants
BY LESLIE RICHARDSON Republican/Herald
STAFF WRITER
10/17/2007
SHENANDOAH — The facade improvement
program is moving along in the borough.
During Tuesday night’s meeting, Downtown Shenandoah
Inc. President Val Macdonald said three grants for improvements have
been finalized and a fourth is almost ready.
“It’s a lot of work running around with paint
chips and colors, but it is paying off,” she said.
The program is an Upper Schuylkill Downtown initiative
that began in April and provides funding to local property owners
or business owners to encourage building-facade improvements to enhance
exterior appearance.
According to Executive Director Patrice Rader, Upper
Schuylkill offers reimbursement through matching grants funded by
the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s
Main Street Program for properties in the six boroughs under its umbrella:
Ashland, Frackville, Girardville, Mahanoy City, Ringtown and Shenandoah.
The program, according to Rader, is designed to stimulate
private investment in downtown properties, foster an attractive shopping
environment and preserve the architectural heritage of the downtown
area.
Macdonald said the group is currently working on its
business inventory and is compiling a list of vacant buildings that
could be filled by tenants.
She said a new business is scheduled to open soon, but
was not ready to reveal what type of business it would be.
She also encouraged use of second-floor space as an
option for new tenants in the downtown area.
“If more people were willing to come in and
use the second floor of a building, the owners would be more inclined
to fix up the upper floors,” she said.
© The REPUBLICAN & Herald
2007
< Back to News
