By ROCHELLE A. SHENK, Correspondent
The Manheim Downtown Development Group's first façade improvement grant project is currently under way.
The first project, at 1 N. Main St., focuses on caulking, painting and repairing the wood trim on the brick building owned by Chris Simon and Tim Nye. The work is being done by a local contractor, McGeehan Painting.
"The building is located at one of the main intersections in the borough (Main Street or Route 72 and High Street), so it offers high visibility for our first project," said Jeff Scamardella, co-chair of the downtown group's design committee, which coordinates the façade program.
Nye noted that he and Simon had been considering improvements to the building for a year or two. However the narrow sidewalks beside it and the fact that it's located at a busy intersection hampered their plans, since it is difficult to find lift equipment that could reach the upper stories and yet not be a major obstruction to the sidewalk or roads.
"Everything came together for us. We found a contractor with the right equipment and the grant helped fund the project," he said.
The façade improvement grants are part of the Main Street program that the group administers. This year $30,000 in grants is available to downtown Manheim property owners to improve facades of their buildings. The maximum grant per project is $2,500.
Scamardella said that the estimate for the improvement project at 1 N. Main is $10,200. Since the building is located on a corner, it has two facades. Improvements to the wood trim on both sides of the building are part of this project, and since two facades are being improved, Simon qualified for two grants for a total of $4,475. The work is expected to be completed by the end of summer.
"We had a sign created to indicate that the improvements are part of a Main Street program and will have that sign visible on each project. We're hoping that when people see the work that's being done on Chris' building that it will encourage them to consider improvements for their own property," he said.
Recently two other façade improvements have been approved. A project at 15 Market Square will focus on painting the entire structure, and the grant for the project, which is based on only the façade portion, is $1,450.
The other project involves replacing a door and painting at 34 N. Main St.; the project total is $350, and the grant amount is $175.
For further information about the program or to obtain an application form, contact the Manheim Downtown Development Group at 665-1762 or e-mail:
info@manheimtowntown.org. The group is revamping its Web site (
www.manheimdowntown.org) and expects to have façade information available there in the next few weeks.
