Council Approves Funding For Main Street

The Laurel Council last night approved a resolution that would make as much as $300,000 in grants and other funding available for Main Street businesses.

As part of the resolution, the council unanimously approved a proposal to form an Economic Development Program, which would allow funds from the city's unreserved balanced to be used for the program.

The funds include a $10,000 grant for applicants relocating a business to Main street, a $2,500 grant to businesses for replacing or upgrading store front signage, and funds for facade and interior improvements to businesses along Main Street or historic buildings.

Karl Brendle, director of community planning, said the program and grants comprise a larger version of an incentive program the city started in 2010 to encourage businesses to move to Main Street.

That program allocated only $30,000 to $40,000 and Brendle said the response was tepid because individual grants of $5,000 were not enough of an incentive.

“It’s a lot bigger,” he said. The program “encourages businesses.”

To promote the program, Mayor Craig Moe will be holding a meeting April 12 at 7 p.m. in the with the Laurel Board of Trade. The event will be open to the public.