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Bradford businesses seeking grant money from the town to improve their storefronts

Council wants to review the criteria under the current Downtown Community Improvement Plan grants
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The Bertha Sinclair House, home to Victoria Bourque Beauty on Holland Street is seeming grant money from the town to improve their parking. Natasha Philpott/BradfordToday

There were four Downtown Community Improvement Plan (DCIP) applications received at town council meeting on Tuesday evening. 

The DCIP is in place for businesses in the downtown core to access grant dollars to help with the costs associated with upgrading and maintaining their older buildings and properties. 

There are three grant programs available.

Program 1 provides grants for work on Facade, Landscape and Signage Improvement.

Program 2 provides funding for Building Restoration, Renovation and Improvements.

Program 3 can cover Planning Fees and Building Permit fees.

Local beauty salon, Victoria Bourque is one of the applicants for funding. The business operates out of Bertha Sinclair House, located at 92 Holland St. West, a historic home dating from 1890. 

The salon is applying for a grant under Program 1 for improvements to the parking lot, including removal of all asphalt, re-grading, compacting and re-pavement. The lot will feature additional accessible parking spots. 

The project cost is estimated at $37,726.25, and would be eligible for the maximum $15,000 grant. 

Antoinette's Laundromat, a tenant at 95-105 Holland St. West, is also seeking a grant under Program 1 to upgrade the two back-lit signs at the front of the laundromat. The applicant has provided two separate estimates, of $4,675 to refurbish and $9,656 to replace the signage. The maximum grant available would be $2,337.50 or $4,828, respectively.

The owner of 157 Holland St. East, now occupied by 7C Seafood, has applied for a grant under all three programs for a total of $50,271.88  - including $3,321.38 under Program 1; $46,013 under Program 2; and $937.50 under Program 3. 

The owner of 26 Holland St. East, the former RBC building, has also applied for funding under all three programs, $4,451 under Program 1, $50,000 under Program 2, and $1,381.50 for Program 3. 

Most of council supported the applications under Programs 1 and 3. However, they had issues with the larger dollar requests, under Program 2.  

"I don't feel right giving taxpayers' money to do upkeep on their building," said Coun. Raj Sandhu, noting that the work does not create any new jobs or new business for the people of Bradford, and maintenance is part of the cost of operating a business.

Sandhu said that he could support some of the improvements, such as improved accessibility, but added, "I don't think we should be paying to paint people's parking lots." 

Coun. Gary Baynes agreed, noting some of the requests were more of a business case.

"I can't support the two that got 50K of taxpayers' money," Baynes said. 

Since the applicants have already gone through the proper application processes, Mayor Rob Keffer said it would be unfair to cancel the current applications. 

"These applicants did go through the process and the forms as the policy is now," he noted.

"We need to revisit our policies," said Coun. Peter Dykie, adding that he still supported programs that enhance the look and safety features of the buildings. 

Coun. Peter Ferragine agreed. 

"When we originally looked at this, it was to make a downtown core a more desirable place and it (the programs) worked," Ferragine said. "When I see tiling and framing, general contracting, that’s the cost of business and that’s not fair to other businesses in town (that are not located downtown). We really need to revamp this thing."

Coun. Baynes suggested an amendment be made so that council and staff could revisit the program and its criteria. 

Council voted in favour of the amendment to the recommendations, approving the four applications under consideration but temporarily suspending new applications until the program criteria have been reviewed.

Applications already in the works will be considered under the existing rules, while new DCIP applications will still be received, but won't be reviewed or approved until council and staff have had the opportunity to review the criteria, Baynes explained. 

 

 

 


Natasha Philpott

About the Author: Natasha Philpott

Natasha is the Editor for BradfordToday and InnisfilToday. She graduated from the Media Studies program at The University of Guelph-Humber. She lives in Bradford with her husband, two boys and two cats.
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