Monongahela supports main street facade project

The Monongahela Main Street Program is hoping for a share of county gaming revenue money to give back to city businesses.

Four buildings recently received a facelift on Main Street in Monongahela, and the owners could get up to 50% of their expenses for rehabilitation back from grant money.

After voting unanimously to authorize it during Wednesday’s meeting, Monongahela council will provide a letter of support for the Monongahela Main Street Program (MMSP) to submit the finished facade projects for Washington County Local Share Account (LSA) grant money, which the organization secured a few years ago. LSA funding is generated through the county’s share of gaming revenues derived from Hollywood Casino at the Meadows.

Sambol’s Bakery and Candy Shop, The Drunken Hippie, the building at 219 W. Main St. and the former Auto Plus location were recently spiffed up and repainted. If the projects are approved by the county, the building owners will receive half of the amount back from the LSA grant acquired by the MMSP.

The MMSP was awarded grant money for facade projects from two sources: the county and the state Department of Community and Economic Development. The program still has enough grant money through the county and the state for about another dozen facade projects. Each project receives 50% of the total cost back in grant money unless it exceeds $10,000, as the maximum amount awarded per project is $5,000.

The DCED grant requires facade projects to receive three bids, which is why the MMSP will submit the recent four to the county.

“I just hope that people will come to us and work with us on the facade grant money,” MMSP Executive Director Terry Necciai said after Wednesday’s meeting.

While the recent projects all involved painting, Necciai mentioned other eligible uses for the grant money, such as adding a sign, awning or reconfiguring a storefront.

“As long as you don’t throw away something historic that’s been there for 50 or 100 years, it’s OK,” Necciai said.

A preservation architect, Necciai wants to help business owners maintain the historical components of their buildings.

“I want to get involved in preserving the building and make sure they aren’t doing the wrong thing, like painting things that shouldn’t be painted, or tearing out windows when they could have been fixed, that kind of stuff,” he said.

Council also approved a letter of support for the MMSP to reallocate $21,000 of the Washington County LSA money to be used for sidewalk repairs in the city. The county must approve the request before the start of any sidewalk projects with the grant money.

“So if they do that, we may have money available to put in about $3,000 as a reimbursement for a small sidewalk project here and there,” Necciai said.