CEDAR CITY — Cedar City will soon benefit from a $30,000 Utah Main Street Program grant, earmarked for the preservation and revitalization of its Historic Downtown.
On Feb. 28, the Utah Main Street Program Advisory Committee announced the grant recipients, awarding seven cities a total of $190,000.
Some of the program’s goals include supporting local communities to create new jobs, rehabilitate buildings, and increase job and business growth, according to the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity’s website.
“The new UMSP grant helps local communities revitalize their economy, appearance and downtown commercial districts. It accomplishes this by building a strategy centered around a community’s unique heritage and attributes, focusing on what’s special to make it a great place to live and visit,” the website states.
The bulk of the funds will directly support businesses located in Cedar City’s Historic Downtown, said Megan Anderson, an executive assistant with Cedar City’s Office of Economic Development and secretary for the Historic Downtown Economic Committee, which applied for the grant.
The committee’s facade and tenant improvement program will support businesses in making necessary upgrades and improvements while balancing the need for historic preservation, Anderson said.
“It’s such a quaint, beautiful, historic space. I hope (the funding is) able to help these businesses to upgrade and update as they need and that it will help them all to just feel part of the community,” she said.
A portion of the funding will be used to hire a part-time employee to support the committee’s efforts to obtain funding, put forward ideas and meet goals. The employee would also be tasked with making connections with businesses and ascertaining their needs, Anderson said.
Anderson said she expects the funding application to be available for business owners in the next two to three weeks. At that time, those interested in applying will be able to find more information on the Historic Downtown Economic Committee’s web page. However, Anderson said committee members plan to deliver paperwork to eligible business owners, as well.
For any funding doled out to business owners, a 50% match must be provided, either from alternative funding sources or from the businesses themselves. Anderson said the committee is working toward procuring additional grants to incentivize businesses to take advantage of the Utah Main Street Program funding.
Recently, the committee submitted a request for an AARP grant, which Anderson described as a “community mobility-type grant,” mainly for people aged 50 and older. She said businesses can use those funds to improve their storefronts’ accessibility.
Representatives of the Utah Main Street program will be in Cedar City in April to do a presentation. Anderson said she hopes local businesses will be involved and “get excited.”
“Downtown main streets truly are our history in every city in the nation,” Anderson concluded. “They’re where towns were established when the towns and cities began. To be able to keep the rich history and dynamic feel that these Historic Downtown areas provide is our desire.”
In an interview last week with St. George News/Cedar City News, Gov. Spencer Cox spoke about the Utah Main Street Program grant announcement.
“(Main Street is) a place where people can come and gather, shop, obviously supporting our business communities in those areas. We’re really lucky this year to have so many resources available for people and for communities,” he said.
Cox added that Utahns should expect to see a “significant influx” of funding for infrastructure from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and that communities can still receive funding from the American Rescue Plan. In addition, the Utah Legislature is working on providing funding for road improvements in rural communities.
“And this is, I believe, a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to improve infrastructure and make sure that our communities are strong and vibrant,” he said.
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