Three Businesses Receive Facade Grants

posted in Chamber of Commerce on December 18, 2017

WAVERLY, Iowa—The Design and Beautification Committee of the Waverly Chamber of Commerce recently presented Legacy Photography, East Bremer Diner and the Larabee Center with façade grants to improve their business’ appearance.

The purpose of the Façade Improvement Grant is to provide financial incentives annually to property owners and businesses to assist them in restoring and rehabilitating their storefronts.

Unique to this year’s grants recipients, the Design and Beautification Committee was able to offer more financial assistance as compared to year’s past.

Chair of the Design and Beautification Committee, Steve Egli, was thrilled to offer the grant money to these three businesses.

“This year’s budget for the façade grants was doubled by the Chamber’s board of directors  to provide more support for the downtown businesses going through the Iowa DOT’s road reconstruction project,” Egli said. “We felt it was important to include the ability to enhance businesses’ rear entrances.”

Legacy Photography used their grant to enhanced their building’s exterior. This included painting, adding their business name and an awning.

Owner Christine Robbins was pleased with this experience and thankful for the support from the Design and Beautification Committee.

“We are very appreciative of the grant money awarded to us for the upgrading of our storefront with a beautiful new awning, lettering, window treatments and paint,” Robbins said. “This was an opportune time for the studio’s name change and allowed us to invest in our new branding.”

The Larabee Center used their grant funds to add additional signage at their building’s rear entrance. The signage was mainly added to ease the donation process when customers bring in their unwanted items to Trinkets and Togs.

Christina Flammang, Larabee Center Development Coordinator, said the enhancements The Larabee Center has made will give them great success in the future.

“The signs have significantly helped Trinkets and Togs customers dropping off donations,” Flammang said. “The back of the building is now clearly marked, thanks to the signs and has improved traffic flow immensely. The signs are big, bold and beautiful and can be easily seen.”

The East Bremer Diner used their grant to update their back entrance. This included painting the exterior with a retro design and enhancing the back interior entrance with painted mural.

Owner Matt Lamos said that the façade grant helped him get his business prepared for the changes to come during next year’s road construction project.

“With the road construction coming through downtown again next year, the alley will become our main entrance,” Lamos said. “We decided it was a good time to invest in our building. It was great working with local painters to redo the back and create more of a welcome for our guests.

For more information on the Façade Improvement Grant, visit waverlychamber.com or call (319) 352-4526.