Several businesses in The Blue Mountains getting upgrades have received assistance in the form of grant money from the municipality.
The grants are part of the town's community improvement plan (CIP), which includes funding for specific projects that revitalize the town's commercial areas.
At its committee of the whole meeting on Nov. 29, The Blue Mountains council approved the awarding of $68,800.14 in grant funding to five local businesses through the CIP.
The following five local business will get assistance from the program for business upgrade/improvement projects:
- 19 Bruce Street North, Thornbury (Sarah Beveridge and Christian Carvallo, Blue Thornbury) - $30,014.63
- 190 Russell Street East, Thornbury (Melissa Goldmintz, Lemonade Collective) - $2,268.20
- 827502 Grey Road 40, Clarksburg (Shannon Matamoros, Garden Holistics) - $15,000.00
- 18 Bruce Street South, Thornbury (Keith Turner) - $10,000.00
- 43 Bruce Street South, Thornbury (Jeanne Stellar) -$11,517.31
A CIP is a planning and economic development tool that municipalities use to facilitate broad community revitalization goals through grants or loans to private property owners and tenants.
“It’s quite exciting,” said Adam Smith, the town’s director of planning and development services.
Smith explained to council that the ultimate result of the CIP grant is the leveraging of more than $168,000 in private investment in the various projects.
In the fall intake for the program, the town received seven applications with five being deemed complete. The earlier spring intake of the program saw $138,969.36 in funds approved for projects.
