Video credit: Andrew Hudson
The Williamston Downtown Development Authority met on Tuesday, March 19, to adopt the Williamston DDA’s 2019 Re-Stated Facade Improvement Program.
Rich Martin, chair of the DDA, said the program is designed to encourage business owners to make improvements to their facades and their buildings.
Heidi Vanderbeek
The graphic above looks at the past and the updated version of the Facade Improvement Plan. On March 19, the Williamston DDA approved the updated version that will have an application soon.
“That’s the whole idea,” said Rich Martin, chair of the Downtown Development Authority, “is to make the downtown more inviting for people to come to visit our city.”
Heidi Vanderbeek
The Studio Shop (dark purple dot), owned by Williamston DDA member Will Long, will not be participating in the Facade Improvement plan as his business just improved the exterior. The owner of Barrett’s, (dark red dot) which sits at the corner of Grand River Avenue and Putnam Street, plans to take advantage of the program in the near future.
John Gormley, who has been a legal assistant for the DDA, said he wanted to make something clear to the public on the plan. “The DDA is not giving money for the improvements, but they are rather providing an easement to the businesses who participate in the program,” Gormley said.
Photo-video credit: Ally Smith
Martin, who owns Barrett’s in downtown Williamston, said his business needs some work on the outside. He said he plans to participate in the program once an application is made public.