Main Street grant apps available from city

Franklin Main Street is soliciting Louisiana Main Street Restoration Grant applications from downtown commercial building owners and/or business owners in Franklin.
The Louisiana Main Street program is able to offer two types of competitive grants: a $10,000 grant for major projects and a $2,500 grant for minor projects. The grants require a dollar-for-dollar monetary match for a total of $20,000 and $5,000, respectively. Grant funds—$10,000 or $2,500—are disbursed once the work is completed.
Grants are available for either interior or exterior rehabilitation. This year the time frame to complete projects is limited. All work must be completed by May 31, 2018, to be eligible for reimbursement.
Applications received from Franklin Main Street building owners and/or business owners will compete statewide for funding with other Louisiana Main Street communities.
To be eligible for Louisiana Main Street Restoration Grant funds, a building must be located within the downtown Main Street district, be used for commercial purposes and be at least 50 years old. Additionally, the proposed work must be approved by the Franklin Historic District Commission (HDC) and the Louisiana Main Street office, while also conforming to the guidelines set forth by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Applicants must have a Certificate of Appropriateness from the HDC before the start of the work.
The deadline to submit the completed Main Street Restoration Grant application to the Main Street Program Manager is 9 a.m. Wednesday, November 15, 2017.
The Main Street Restoration Grant application, details and deadlines are available from the Community Development Department (ashields@franklin-la.com or 337-828-6345).