Downtown Greenwood looks different than it did two years ago in part thanks to a grant program geared specifically toward beautifying Old Town’s historic storefronts.
More than 20 buildings along Madison Avenue and Main Street downtown boast upgraded signage and remodeled storefronts. Established businesses and new businesses alike took advantage of the Granting Revitalization and Opportunity for the Workplace program, dubbed G.R.O.W., which the city’s Redevelopment Commission launched in 2016, setting aside $500,000 to help businesses and offices improve the overall look of downtown. The commission has since dedicated another half a million to the program.
"When we originally did the half a million, we were hoping that it would be substantial enough to really get the program going. It got utilized heavily through 2017, so then there was the goal to keep some of that momentum going," said Kevin Steinmetz, Greenwood’s capital projects manager.
Projects run the gamut. Some, such as Planetary Brewing, 170 S. Madison, received $100,000 to completely rehab the vacant building and turn it into a restaurant and brewery. Others, such as R. Lee Money Law firm, 310-312 W. Main Street, got less than $4,000. The amount of funding depends on the work that needs to be done.
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"A lot of the projects — about 10-15 projects alone — are on Madison Avenue, south of Fry and north of Main. You’ve really seen that come in and increase the investment for homes that have been converted to commercial or are being converted to commercial," he said.
"We’ve taken what started organically on Madison and extended that both north and a little bit south, which has really given that corridor an enhanced look, feel and profile."
Which businesses and how much goes to each is up to the Greenwood Community Development Corporation. It was up to the redevelopment commission, but they said the task of deciding which businesses got money and how much was administratively exhausting.
So far, $605,000 has been handed out for projects, which include exterior improvements to buildings, such as facades, windows, and lighting, as well as art, landscaping and masonry. But only about $374,000 has been spent.
And nearly half a million dollars remains for similar projects.
Four businesses that applied for a grant didn’t use the money because they closed or relocated, Steinmetz said. As a result, about $96,000 has gone back into the account and is available to future applicants. Currently, the Greenwood Community Development Corporation is reviewing two or three more applications, he said.
The city’s redevelopment commission approved guidelines for the grant money. The goal of the program is to help pay for projects to revitalize downtown Greenwood and the areas around it with the most traffic, including foot traffic now that a new trail which opened this fall runs along Madison north of Main.
“It’s either happened with or helped stimulate the kind of uses that are more what you’d look for in an independent business,” he said. “To attribute it all to this grant would be unfair, but to say it hasn’t helped would also be unfair. (This grant is) so essential to continue this growth that we want to see, and it’s another way to increase foot traffic around there.”
In order for a business to be eligible for a grant, it must be located on Madison Avenue between Main Street and Fry Road, or on Main Street between U.S. 31 and Interstate 65, Steinmetz said.
Also, in order to receive the grant, businesses have to be willing to invest some of their own monies. Those that are willing to put up $10,000 to $50,000 may be eligible for a matching grant of up to $100,000, he said.
So far, businesses have invested $748,000 of their own monies as part of the projects.
“We’re not just funding repairs. We’re looking for a higher level of build out and also something that can really enhance the corridor or has a better use than what was there,” Steinmetz said.
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Here is a look at which businesses have received G.R.O.W. grants since Nov. 2016, and how much money was offered to each. Some businesses did not spend the full amount. Others did not use any of the money:
Dr. Kevin and Marie Storm, 622 N. Madison Avenue; $25,000
Dr. Jeremy Rosco Pediatrics, 401 Camby Court; $38,000
Isaac Brewer, 599 E. Main Street; $21,000
Jason West (ballroom), 181 S. Madison Avenue; $19,000
Jason West (bakery), 410 E. Main Street; $14,500
Dr. Richard Ruegg, 399 W. Main Street; $29,500
Mark Dietel, 194-202 W. Main Street; $28,000
Sugar Threads, 263 N. Madison Avenue; $32,000
Timothy Crump (insurance), 271 N. Madison Avenue; $33,000
Madison Properties Management, 384, 390 and 399 N. Madison Avenue; $50,000
Bill Robertson, 616 N. Madison Avenue; $21,000
Dustin Doyle, 100 S. Madison Avenue; $16,500
Isaac Brewer, 100 N. Madison Avenue; $24,000
Oksoo Becker, 52 South, 150 and 484 North Madison Avenue; $51,097.50
Financial Plans and Strategies, 375 N. Madison Avenue; $8,160.52
Jim Blakenship, 540 N. Madison Avenue; $28,000
R. Lee Money Law, 310-312 W. Main Street; $3,974
Planetary Brewing Company, 170 S. Madison Avenue; $100,000
Bailey & Wood Financial Group, 612 N. Madison Avenue; $50,000
Risk Law Offices, 200 S. Madison Avenue; $12,715.50
Total amount granted; $605,447.52
Total amount spent; $374,180.16
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