Owners urged to boost face value
Grants available to enhance appearance of worn-down structures’ facades.
BILL O ’ BOYLE boboyle@timesleader.com
The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce and M&T Bank have created a grant program to encourage commercial property owners to invest in their buildings to bring them back to life.
Many businesses in the region have shown deterioration and could use a new facade, or face lift. The Facade Enhancement Grant Program is designed to encourage and assist building owners in the Greater Wilkes-Barre area to make improvements to commercial properties and to provide a framework for the physical and functional enhancement of those buildings. The sponsor for the innovative program is M&T Bank. Eugene Walsh, vice president for government banking at M&T, said his company provided $25,000 for the first year of the program and $15,000 the second year.
So far, two local businesses have been awarded grants: the building on West Market Street in Wilkes-Barre that houses Lowe’s Restaurant and M. Abraham Rugs, and the Himler Theater in Dallas.
The West Market Street project has been completed. The second and third floors of the building have been given a new look.
The Himler Theater project has not yet started. There are seven other projects to be completed with the M&T funding.
Program details: Here’s how the program works: The Chamber will provide up to $5,000 per property. The financial assistance will be in the form of a grant. However, according to the program guidelines, for every grant dollar received, property owners are required to match that grant with a dollar of their own funds. For example, if a facade grant project totaled $2,000, the funding breakdown for that project would be $1,000 of Chamber grant funds and $1,000 of owner’s funds.
According to Larry Newman, the Chamber’s vice president of community and economic development, to participate in the program the property owner must submit a plan for the facade renovation and that facade plan must be approved by a Chamber review committee before work commences.
Newman said eligible improvements may include, but are not limited to: facade renovation (including architectural fees), signs, doors, windows, awnings, graphics, exterior lighting, painting, restoration and landscaping.
He said improvements must be in accordance with the Downtown Design Guidelines, based on the national Main Street Program storefront guidelines, which have been adopted by the Chamber for the program.
Newman said the rationale for the program is to ensure facade improvements are consistent with best practices in core community revitalization and – in the case of Downtown Wilkes-Barre – the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Strategic Plan and Downtown Design Guidelines.
Stimulate investment “We hope to stimulate investment in existing commercial buildings,” Newman said.
Walsh said the program was one that M&T had no trouble supporting.
“We looked at the targeted area – the Greater Wilkes-Barre area – and decided we wanted to help business owners who have basically been through thick and thin, good times and bad,” Walsh said. “At the same time, we would be helping the city to beautify their facades and improve the look of its business district.”
Walsh said the program was inspired by the Chamber because a lot of communities were looking to help businesses get cleaned up and look better – to rise above code violations.
“When you help these communities to look better for retail business, you see an improvement in the attitudes of the people who want to shop downtown,” Walsh said. “What we’re hoping is that what has been started with small efforts, will grow into more involvement from corporate partners and bigger results for the communities.”
Todd Vonderheid, president and chief executive officer at the Chamber, said the intent is to apply for state funding for the project and to create an opportunity for other corporations to make donations similar to M&T’s.
“These projects act as incentive for business owners to make aesthetic improvements to the streetscape of the community,” Vonderheid said. “Downtown Wilkes-Barre is the core community program and we also plan to help businesses in Dallas Borough, Kingston, Plymouth and Nanticoke, which all have traditional downtown areas.”
Vonderheid said the program could last for many years. He hopes to receive funding help from private foundations, as well as corporate partners.
“The nice thing is the money goes right back in the streets,” Vonderheid said. “And it’s a dollar-for-dollar match.”
Bill O’Boyle, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at 829-7219.
