Streator Plan Commission recommends restructure to building facade program

The Streator Planning Commission unanimously recommended and forwarded to the City Council a restructure to the “Building Facade Renovation and Replacement Grant and Loan Program” at Tuesday’s meeting at City Hall.

The proposed restructure extends the previous requirement that the business be located inside the central business district to the Bloomington Street corridor north and to the Westgate Shopping Plaza area. Grants for downtown businesses will be considered first, and a deadline of July 1 is recommended for grants outside downtown.

“It’s envisioned that there would be a facade grant outside the downtown area, depending on budget,” city engineer Jeremy Palm said. “It opens this up to the outside area.”

The commission then voted to table a recommendation for a facade grant of $15,000 to property owner Theresa Lukach, 321 E. Main St. The application of the proposed project was to replace the main entrance door and entry windows on the northern facade, the side entrance door and entry windows on the eastern facade and install new awnings.

“I went and looked at the building, and looking at what the bidders put in for the replacement of windows and doors, I don’t see it looking any different than what we already have,” commission member Doug Patterson said. “The facade grant is supposed to bring the building back to what it looked like in the 50s. ... This is more of a maintenance issue.”

The commission decided it would like to see photos of what the building looked like in the past before the next meeting and move forward then.

The commission is scheduled to meet again at 6 p.m. Feb. 9.