BERLIN– Seven downtown businesses will receive façade grants to help with exterior improvements.
The Town of Berlin on Wednesday announced this year’s façade grant recipients. The grants will help merchants pay for improvements to their storefronts.
“The Downtown Commercial Façade Grant Program is an essential tool in supporting the continued growth and development of our downtown district,” said Ivy Wells, the town’s director of economic and community development. “The awardees this year have proposed exciting projects that will enhance the appearance and attraction of our downtown, and we look forward to seeing their progress and results.”
This year’s grant recipients are The Globe ($2,700), Una Bella Salute ($2,500), Baked Dessert Café ($1,250), Wooden Octopus ($11,500), The Street Kitchen ($10,000), Brewery at Broad Street ($10,000) and the Worcester County Arts Council ($12,000). Wells said the town received eight applications this year. She believes the strong interest in the program demonstrates the commitment of business owners to improving the appearance and vitality of the downtown area.
A selection committee, made of staff and volunteers, reviewed each application and evaluated them on a variety of criteria, including the proposed project’s impact on the downtown district, its design and the applicant’s financial commitment to the project. Grants cover up to 50% of a project’s cost, with a maximum award of $12,000. The grants awarded in this round will be used for improvements such as painting, signage and lighting.
At the Worcester County Arts Council, Executive Director Anna Mullis said the funding would help cover the cost of replacing steps, painting, and installing lighting that will highlight the building’s historical features and also improve safety for the visiting public. Mullis said the nonprofit’s connections were thrilled the $12,000 grant had been received.
“This grant is essential for us, as most of the funding that the Worcester County Arts Council receives from the state is distributed to the community in the form of grants, scholarships, and art programming,” she said.
Wells said several businesses, including Wooden Octopus and The Globe, were using the funding to make changes recently approved by the Berlin Historic District Commission. She said she’d approached Jon Lane, who only recently took over The Globe, after he’d met with the commission to advise him that the grant program was available and could potentially help him with some of the improvements. He’s going to use the grant to help cover the cost of purchasing Isinglass curtains for the tiki bar area. The grant will also help with installing fencing that will go along the Gay Street side of the building.
Wells said the Street Kitchen would use its grant to make door and exterior improvements associated with the west side of the former Broad Street Station building. Brewery at Broad, which is also opening in the space, will use its grant to make general outside improvements to the building. The funding will go toward the cost of removing siding, replacing timber, installing new gutters and adding paint.
