Facade progress pleases
BY LESLIE RICHARDSON, STAFF WRITER
07/03/2007
MAHANOY CITY — Patrice K. Rader is pleased.
The executive director of the Upper Schuylkill Downtowns
northern Schuylkill County umbrella revitalization organization said
Monday there has been progress in six participating municipalities
on the Design Challenge Grant Program.
“Everyone is in the process of getting applications
in,” she said. “It does take time but I am pleased with
what has been going on.”
The program that began in April provides funding to
local property owners or business owners to encourage building facade
improvements to enhance exterior appearance.
According to 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.
Design Challenge Grant funding must be matched, dollar
for dollar, by the property or business owner.
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.
Upper Schuylkill uses a publication of design guidelines
as a reference guide. It offers basic information about physical improvements
that have been effective in the revitalization of other central business
districts in Pennsylvania. In addition, the guidelines establish a
set of principles to ensure that the improvements are consistent with
the scale, character and history of the central business district.
Each community in the Upper Schuylkill program has $15,000
to use for the facade initiative.
Additionally, Shenandoah and Ashland, both of which
are members the Main Street Program, have $30,000 of their own to
spend. They must use the existing money first before tapping into
any Upper Schuylkill funds.
“They also must use the entire $30,000 to qualify
for the same amount next year,” Rader said.
All of the downtown organizations in the participating
communities must use all of the initial $15,000 before applying for
more, Rader said, adding that Upper Schuylkill cannot get all of the
grant money next year if there is a remaining balance in the facade
program.
“I would have to deduct that amount from additional
funding I would apply for,” Radar said. “So I am really
hoping it gets used.”
Julian J. Milewski, president of Main Street Ringtown,
said he’s had 13 inquiries about the program.
”We agreed to take the worst, the one we thought
was going to take the most time to complete the paperwork on, and
set it up and push it through to see how it goes,” Milewski said.
“I don’t want to put 12 applications through and find out
we did them all wrong. It’s a learning process.”
Milewski said he is delivering the packet to each eligible
person interested in the program and meeting to explain the process.
Each project must be digitally photographed and then
sent to a graphic artist, who sketches the building with the facade
improvements and selected colors.
“Apparently, there aren’t as many graphic
artists out there as we thought,” Milewski said. “It is
taking about three weeks to get a rendering completed.”
Milewski said the rendering costs about $200 and comes
out of the grant money. He said he hopes some of the projects can
be approved during construction season.
“Some of the projects will just require a little
paint, others are more involved,” Milewski said.
Eric Lieberman, vice president of Mahanoy Downtown Inc.,
said four property owners in Mahanoy City have shown interest.
“We are hoping to do a couple of projects with
the initial $15,000,” Lieberman said. “We are also intending
to try to address more than one with the possibility of getting an
extra $15,000 if we have projects that are far enough along that they
will make a worthy impact on the community.
“The downtown community in Mahanoy City is going
to need to have one or two projects that will show what can be done
to get the other property owners interested,” he said.
Lieberman also said he thinks the renderings will make
a big impact on the owner’s decision to go ahead with the project.
“Once we can show the property owner the ideas,
and the final result, it is going to make a big difference,”
Lieberman said.
Valerie E. Macdonald, president of Downtown Shenandoah
Inc., said she has four application packets out and one more to deliver.
Of the five possible projects, she said, two are historic
buildings and the owners must follow state preservation guidelines.
Also being considered are two contiguous buildings that
could make a big impact on the downtown, she continued.
“Tina’s Flowers and Eye Care Optical next
door are both interested in the program,” Macdonald said of the
businesses located in the 100 block of South Main Street. “If
we can get both of those done and with the Oyster Bar next door it
will pretty much complete the block.”
Rader said Ashland has had an application approved and
the work is being done.
“Dr. Matz’s office is being done right now
and Ashland also has several other projects that are ready to get
started,” Rader said.
The Donut Shop and the News-Item Building are in the
application process and Dr. Joseph Weber’s office is in the initial
stages, according to Rader.
Girardville’s revitalization group is planning
a meeting in the next few weeks to get word out about the program.
“We are just about to sign on Amy Boxter’s
accounting office,” said Patty Domalakes, the program coordinator
for Frackville.
Domalakes said Boxter is going to have an awning placed
outside of her building.
“I do think the majority of property owners are
interested but some find out they can’t do exactly what they
want to do,” Domalakes said. “We are into restoration, getting
the buildings back to their original look when Frackville was being
built up.
“Some have made improvements with siding and fake
stone and now might want to take it back to the original clapboard
or other original material.”
© The REPUBLICAN & Herald
2007
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