September 06, 2024
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Streator council awards series of facade grants to local businesses

Council OKs each grant despite budget shortfall, prioritizing downtown revitalization

By Bill Freskos
Blue Eyed Rascal.

Starting in 2014, the facade grant program helps local businesses aiming to restore their storefronts to a pre-1950s era style. Blue Eyed Rascal is one of the most recent businesses to receive the grant. (Bill Freskos)

The Streator City Council recently approved a series of facade grants during its latest meeting for Blue Eyed Rascal, Vette to Vette and Curley’s Furniture in the amount of $75,000 total.

The facade grant program, which started in 2014, prioritizes downtown businesses aiming to restore storefronts to a pre-1950s-era style. The program already has distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to many local businesses, reshaping downtown.

Streator received $55,000 from the La Salle County Board in American Rescue Plan Act funds.

N. Bloomington St., Streator

Vette to Vette, 1109 N. Bloomington St. in Streator, received a facade grant in the amount of $30,000 during Wednesday's City Council meeting. (Derek Barichello)

City Engineer Jeremy Palm, however, explained during the Plan Commission meeting last week that there is a budgetary shortfall of $20,000 for facade grants in 2024. The Streator Plan Commission recommended that all businesses receive the grant, and those recommendations were finalized during Wednesday’s meeting.

City Manager David Plyman said that although the budget is short $20,000, it should not be an issue, and the city is well positioned financially to support the grants.

“We may have to amend our budget. We’ll see how it looks after the mid-year review process,” Plyman said. “But we’ve built up some reserves over the last couple years, so we’re solid financially within the general fund.”

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