MAIN STREET VINELAND AWARDED TRANSFORMATION GRANT FOR FACADE IMPROVEMENT FROM MAIN STREET NEW JERSEY PROGRAM
Main Street Vineland recent received a $20,500 Transformation Grant from the Main Street New Jersey (MSNJ) Program and will use the grant award for downtown façade improvement—reviving an initiative started several years ago.
This year marks the first time in its 30-year history that the MSNJ Program has awarded grants to designated MSNJ district organizations around the state. The grant funding is part of a larger effort by the administration of Governor Phil Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which administers MSNJ, to commit more resources to community revitalization programs that focus on small businesses and neighborhood-improvement projects.
“Downtown business districts play such an important role in the economic and social health of our communities, which is why Governor Murphy and I have invested significant resources in the Main Street New Jersey Program,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “This invest includes awarding Main Street grants for the first time ever to help downtowns with improvement projects, placemaking, and transformation strategies. All of these grant-funded activities are scheduled to be completed by year’s end and we can’t wait to see how they positively impact downtowns around the state.”
Main Street Vineland’s façade improvement program is called “Operation Facelift” and is a variation of a program with a similar purpose from several years ago which resulted in several new facades and a new look to Vineland’s downtown. Unlike the previous program, which was set up as a forgivable loan, this is an outright monetary grant.
Businesses applying for the grant money will submit their proposals to a specially-formed Design Review Committee. The grant will fund 75 percent of the cost of an eligible project up to $7,500, with the business funding the remaining 25 percent.
“This grant is not only a tremendous boon to our businesses, but to our entire downtown,” said Main Street Vineland Executive Director Russell Swanson. “The downtown of a community is its heart and soul. Many people decide whether to live and work in a community by the health—economically and physically—of its downtown. That goes for our downtown, as well—including The Ave.”
This initiative, according to Main Street Vineland Associate Director and Business Development Director Robert Scarpa will build on the success of previous initiatives.
“Whereas the previous Operation Facelift was a forgivable loan, with all of the obligations that go with loans, this is money that goes directly to the project, without the obligation to repay,” he said. “This makes it easier all the way around.
Swanson noted that the pot is being sweetened by an application to Thrive South Jersey—a partnership between New Jersey Community Capital and the Pascale Sykes Foundation—for an additional $3,000 grant.
“This will potentially open this initiative up to even more possibilities and increase the benefits to all concerned,” Swanson said.
Established in 1989, the MSNJ Program helps municipalities improve the economy, appearance, and image of their central business districts through the organization of local citizens and resources. Municipalities must apply and be selected to join the MSNJ Program. These designated communities receive technical support and training to assist in restoring their Main Streets as centers of economic and social activity.
This year, designated communities were also eligible for the MSNJ Transformation Grants, which are funding awards of $25,000 or less aimed at assisting projects such as storefront improvement, placemaking, and transformation strategies that can be completed in six months or less.
Main Street Vineland’s “Operation Facelift” will start immediately and all projects must be completed by December 31 of this year.
The mission of Main Street Vineland is to work to preserve, protect, and enhance the downtown area—The Ave: its historic and natural assets, while raising the equity value of the downtown properties and its businesses. Main Street Vineland follows the Four Point Approach to Downtown Management, using organization, design, promotions, and economic vitality as defined by the National Main Street Center.
For more information on this and all Main Street Vineland initiatives and activities, call the Main Street Vineland office at 856-794-8653, visit the organization’s website at www.TheAve.biz, or visit the organization’s Facebook page.
