CEDC awards fourth storefront grant

San Thompson was the recipient this week of the fourth award under the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation’s Façade Grant Program.

The CEDC Board at its regular meeting Monday approved Thompson’s improvements to his building at 317 S. Kearney, immediately south of Sam Hill’s BBQ. The project consisted of removing windows that were deteriorated and in danger of falling out and installation of a new awning.

The project cost Thompson $1,761.67, and he hired his son, San Thompson, Jr., to do the work. CEDC President Steve Hall presented Thompson with a check for $880.83 Tuesday morning.

“I really appreciate all the work the EDC is doing,” Thompson said.

Thompson said he was aware of the grant program before he started working on the project and that the possibility of getting a grant impacted his plans for the building.

“I did a better job and a little more work than I would have otherwise done,” he said.

The project has generated a lot of comments, almost all of which have been positive; and Thompson say the work definitely improved the looks of the building.

“It was pretty ugly before,” he said.

Thompson hopes to rent the building for some kind of business use and told the CEDC Board that the building’s has a fairly open floor plan that could be used a variety of ways.

The CEDC has budgeted $10,000 for this year’s Façade Grant Program, which provides fifty-fifty matching grants up to a maximum of $2,000 per project for properties on a three-block stretch of Kearney Street between First and Fourth Streets.

Projects eligible for consideration could be anything from a coat of paint to new signage to a complete rehabilitation of a storefront.

To date the CEDC has awarded more than $4,000 in façade grants. A fifth application is pending.

The CEDC Board will next meet to consider grant applications on Tuesday, September 2, at 5:15 p.m. in City Hall. This will be the final chance for grants to be considered in this fiscal year.