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Applications open until Jan. 5

From replacing an old worn out awning to returning a historic building’s façade back to its original appearance, building owners and tenets located within Manchester’s Downtown Historic Zone are eligible to receive grant funding to complete improvements to the exterior of their buildings.

Members of the City of Manchester Board of Mayor and Alderman were joined by Community Development and Zoning Director Brittany Fiske and Sarah Elizabeth McLeod of the South Central Tennessee Development District for a public meeting regarding the grant Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Officially known as the Appalachian Regional Commission Downtown Improvement Grant, business owners in Manchester’s downtown Historic Zone are able to apply for federal funds to improve the appearance of their buildings.

“The match between the grant and the applicant is 50%,” McLeod said during the meeting. “Applicants can receive up to $5,000 in grants when spending a minimum $5,000 on pre-approved projects.”

Eligible improvements include restoration of the building to the original façade, replacing original architectural details, new windows, repairing brickwork and cleaning buildings or repainting buildings that have previously been painted.

“Sometimes you lose detail work and you can get it replaced with this grant”

McLeod said Toliver’s Pawn Shop was approved during an earlier round of grant funding, and utilized the funds to replace its second-story windows, creating a noticeable improvement to the building.

Applications for the grant are currently available in the Manchester Planning and Development office at City Hall.

The deadline to submit applications is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5. The applications will then be reviewed and scored on Jan. 9, 2024. Applicants with approved projects will then be notified. There will also be a required meeting for approved applicants with the Historic Zoning Commission at 5 p.m. Jan. 11. A pre-construction meeting will also be required for building owners or tenants with their contractors at 4:30 p.m. April 8. Projects are expected to be completed by Oct. 10, 2024.

McLeod said building tenants are also eligible to apply for the grant funding, but they are required to provide a letter of approval from your building owner and a letter that includes who will be providing the match funds for the project.

“Sometimes we get to the point where there is more ask than funds, so then we talk about what is your priority project,” she said. “Sometimes I have to go back to the building owner and say, you have five things you want to do to your building what is the most important project to you for your building.”

McLeod said some interesting projects other communities have utilized the grant funding for include the restoration of neon lighting at a historic movie theater and façade restorations to two buildings in Columbia.

“I have seen it change how a town looks, it is more inviting, more welcoming, that you are taking pride in your buildings and your town,” she said.