MINTO – Façade improvement grants have been approved by town council for two buildings in downtown Harriston.
Grants of $3,000 each were approved for Scoop-it Bulk and Frozen Food at 30 Elora Street South and David Richenback’s building at 28 Elora Street South.
Scoop-it is a longstanding business in downtown Harriston owned by Maggie Coutts, while the Richenback building formerly housed an accounting business, but will be the new home of another local business, McLaughlin Financial.
Total cost for the Scoop-it project is estimated at $9,600 and for the Richenback project at $11,200, making both projects eligible for the maximum grant under the program.
The façade grant program is part of the town’s Community Improvement Program (CIP).
The approval of the two grants, along with previous projects, leaves $54,067 in the CIP budget for 2023, notes a report from director of economic and community development Belinda Wick-Graham.
Wick-Graham told council applicants to the CIP program have been “down significantly” this year.
“I think the economy has played a role in that. But there’s some good news stories. We have Bulk and Frozen Food looking to re-do their façade and they’re located right beside Richenback’s building, so it’s nice to see these two coming forward together,” she stated.
