Wayland receives façade restoration grant

Award to be announced on Monday in downtown Wayland

LANSING, Mich. – Wayland is one of three communities in Michigan to be awarded a grant through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Façade Restoration Initiative pilot program. The $200,000 grant to the Wayland Downtown Development Authority (DDA) will be announced on Monday.

The $1.5 million Façade Restoration Initiative, or FRI, is intended to expand state support for façade improvement projects in Michigan communities. FRI provides matching funds of up to 50 percent of façade restoration costs to local downtown development authorities, Main Street organizations, principal shopping districts or local authorities. To be eligible, communities must have an existing and locally administered façade improvement program already in place.

WHAT: Presentation of Façade Restoration Initiative grant

WHEN: Monday, September 10 at 10 a.m.

WHERE: 120 S. Main Street in Downtown Wayland, MI

Wayland currently has a waiting list of eight owner-occupied projects requiring façade repairs, including some buildings that require historic restoration. The FRI grant will allow the DDA to increase the number of historic properties, which will help the community toward its goal of earning designation on the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic District.

“The city of Wayland is extremely pleased to be selected for this grant,” said city manager Josh Eggleston.  “The city of Wayland and the greater West Michigan region is in the midst of some amazing things from an economic sense. The improvements to our Main Street properties that this grant provides will only help to sustain and enhance the city’s economic vitality, curb appeal, and ultimately its quality of life.”

“We are honored to have been chosen from the many communities that responded to the Request for Information. Not only does being awarded this opportunity recognize the positive impact of our program to date, it gives us the boost we need to move forward on many projects. The face of our downtown will be radically changed in a relatively short period of time. We are grateful to have been selected,” said Ingrid Miller, Wayland Main Street/DDA Executive Director.

In addition to Wayland, other communities receiving awards include the cities of Marquette and Ypsilanti.

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:

Greg Tedder, Executive Vice President and Chief Community Development and Marketing Officer, MEDC

Jennifer Antel, Mayor Pro Tem and DDA Vice Chair

Josh Eggleston, Wayland City Manager

Ingrid Miller, Wayland Main Street/DDA Executive Director

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.