Holm Auto Good News: Fund available for storefront restoration

By The Salina Journal

Posted Dec 11, 2019 at 6:23 PM Updated Dec 11, 2019 at 6:23 PM

Dickinson County business owners now have a new option for beautifying their business.

“We are looking at trying to continue to improve on the physical appearance of our business and business districts within our community,” said Chuck Scott, executive director of the Dickinson County Economic Development Corporation. “We know that there are a number of businesses that have reached out wondering if there were funding options that they be able to consider for a new awning, or new signage — we also know that there are some areas where the sidewalks are starting to deteriorate.

“So after being asked by businesses if there was assistance available, we thought it would be a worthwhile cause for us to explore.”

The Dickinson County Economic Development Corporation recently partnered with the Community Foundation of Dickinson County to make the Dickinson County Storefront Beautification Revolving Loan Fund available to area business owners. Funded by a Community Foundation grant, the revolving loan fund is a reimbursement program, meaning that funding will be available after a given project is complete. The loan will be a 0% interest loan with repayment terms determined by the amount borrowed, officials said.

“The revolving loan fund was established to help as many businesses as possible throughout Dickinson County with improving their storefronts,” Scott said. “By establishing the storefront beautification program as a revolving loan fund, it allows for the repayment of loans to be made available to additional businesses.”

Structuring the funding as available reimbursement eliminates the need for DKEDC to perform things like construction inspections for qualifying businesses, Scott added. The revolving loan fund format was also chosen to help as many businesses as possible throughout Dickinson County with improving their storefronts; by establishing the storefront beautification program as a revolving loan fund, it allows for the repayment of loans to be made available to additional businesses.

For more information and full program details, visit the Dickinson County Economic Development Corporation website at dkedc.com, call 785-200-3518 or visit 203 N.W. 15th in Abilene.