Sign and Awning and Building Improvement Grant Information
In the Know: A Closer Look Inside Chamber-Main Street
Our Main Street Vision Statement: To passionately provide support for stakeholders, encourage business development and increase community engagement in the downtown district and beyond.
In the fall/winter edition of Osceola Living, Tyra Audlehelm presented an overview of all the events presented and promoted by Chamber-Main Street (OCMS). For each event, OCMS volunteers obtain sponsors who provide most of the money; promote the businesses who sponsor; and organize every detail of the event from volunteers, to entertainment and vendors down to securing extra garbage cans. Tyra also wrote an overview of the OCMS committees and their respective responsibilities. All the events require hours and hours of planning and presenting; however, this is just a part of the job.
OCMS supports their member businesses by accessing and/or creating local grants and utilizing all the resources of Main Street Iowa and Historic Preservation.
OCMS Sign and Awning Grant: Available to potentially cover up to one half of the approved sign/awning projects…Grants are awarded as funds are available.
This is an opportunity to partner with the OCMS Design Team to improve or create a business sign. The focus is blade signs, which project from the building giving drivers and walkers a better look of what is on each street. This is NOT just for downtown businesses.
For the 2020 calendar year only, the City of Osceola will remove and dispose of the old sign and install a new blade sign at no extra cost! The short application has a 3-step procedure which must be followed to qualify and no work can be started ahead of the application process.
Building and Improvement Grant: We are proud to partner with Clarke County Development Corporation to promote economic development and revitalization through financing improvements
Program Overview: The main objective is to promote exterior improvements for small businesses city-wide to improve the overall aesthetics of Osceola. This will revitalize Osceola’s Main Street Historic Commercial District by preserving the integrity of the buildings and enhancing the visual appeal of the district’s unique character. This 1:1 matching grant is available to cover improvement costs up to $15,000.
Program Goals:
- Revitalize and improve the appearance of Osceola’s Main Street Historic Commercial District and city-wide business properties to positively impact the aesthetics, marketability and perception of the City of Osceola.
2. Restore and preserve properties of special value for historical, architectural, or aesthetic reasons.
3. Help in the city-wide economic recovery through increased valuation of property and increase sales in retail and commercial businesses.
Examples of Eligible Improvements:
· Repair to building exterior facades (front, rear, and side facades are eligible)
· Masonry and stone repair
· Exterior painting and cleaning
· Repair or replacement of windows and window framing of façade/storefront
· Repairing or replacing cornices, entrances, doors, decorative detail and exterior wooden features
· Roofs and exterior site improvements
Examples of Ineligible Improvements:
· Interior improvements
· Installation of inappropriate materials (aluminum siding, vinyl siding, T-III, etc.)
· Sandblasting
For more information about both of these grants and all the details, contact the Chamber-Main Street office. 641.342.4200 or [email protected].
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