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11/24/2020 03:14 PMFriday the 13th brought Clinton a bit of good luck: The town announced it has been awarded $128,205 in grant funding for façade improvements on commercial business in Clinton’s downtown.
The grant was from the state under the Small-Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) and the $128,205 was the highest amount of money that could be awarded. The town applied for the grant in August.
According to a press release from Town Manager Karl Kilduff, the grant program will be introduced to the local businesses during the winter after grant contracts with the state are finalized. The projects are expected to then be able to begin in the spring of 2021.
Under the grant, businesses will apply to the town’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) for money to be used for improvements on their sites. The EDC will then review the applications and approve the use of funds. EDC Chairman John Allen in the past has named tasks such as redoing wall panels or painting as common projects for which the businesses could seek the funding for.
“The business would have to pick the type of work most appropriate to their need,” Kilduff explained when contacted about the grant in August.
Bringing aesthetic improvements to Clinton’s downtown has been a long-term goal for the EDC, which believes that an attractive downtown business district will benefit the overall local economy.
A press release from Kilduff announcing the grant award in part states, “It will help encourage small businesses to stay competitive as they recover from the pandemic and support a vibrant streetscape. Enhancements to commercial facilities will help them maintain their competitive edge, allow for quality retailers to be attracted and retained, and update facilities.”
“The better that section of town looks, the more valuable the property is,” Allen said earlier in 2020.
He also contended that the improvements to the downtown could lead to people feeling pride in Clinton’s downtown.