Streator awards $19K facade grant to funeral service business in Northpoint plaza

A funeral service business on the east side of Streator will soon receive a fresh look, thanks to a $15,000 facade grant approved Wednesday night by the Streator City Council.

Schultz Monument Company, located at 1 Elizabeth Place in Northpoint Plaza, was unanimously awarded the grant through the city’s 2025 Building Repair & Facade Grant Program.

The project will include painting the entire east-facing wall, installing three new windows and a 12-foot garage door, replacing old wood shingles above the entrance with metal roofing and adding new wall signage.

The total estimated cost of the work is $18,840, with the grant covering the maximum 80% allowed under program rules.

City Engineer Jeremy Palm told the council the proposed improvements will give the building a significantly updated appearance.

“They’re going to be completely repainting the front,” Palm said. “They’ve got an existing entranceway that’s going to get redone, new metal roofing to replace the wood shake look.

”They’re going to install signage with a new entry door and a couple of windows, then a garage door on the north end.”

Palm noted the Planning Commission had given a unanimous recommendation for the project the week prior.

According to city documents, although the project is located outside the downtown district, it still qualifies for the grant program because it incorporates modern facade materials and improves the building’s visual presence along the corridor.

The business recently relocated to the Northpoint Plaza building, formerly McGrath’s Seafood, earlier this year in February.

Work is expected to begin shortly, but an exact timeline has not been set.