Town officials and staff along with Garner Revitalization Association board members presented the first Downtown Garner Façade Grant check to Johnny Ballinger, owner of the building at 404 East Main Street.

The building, which was formerly Mack’s TV, has been renovated as offices and now houses About Face II, a non-profit organization that serves youth and families in Wake County. The Façade Grant program is funded by the Town of Garner and administered in cooperation with the Garner Revitalization Association.

“The grant was created to encourage improvements to the building façades in the Central Business District,” said Brad Bass, Town of Garner Planning Director. “Proposed improvements must be in keeping with the style of the building and complimentary to the Historic District to be considered.”

The program funds 50 percent of approved improvements up to a maximum of $5,000 and includes projects such as window and door replacement, paint removal, masonry repairs, awnings and signs. Façade Grant programs are used by many cities and towns in the revitalization of Downtowns. These programs are highly effective tools because of the visible enhancements they provide to the area.

“We are very fortunate that the Town started this fund several years ago” said John Hodges, executive director of the Garner Revitalization Association. “It has taken some time to get property owners to participate. But now that they have seen the results at the Ballinger Building, we have several interested in making improvements to their buildings.”

Property owners in the Central Business District who are interested in the Façade Grant Program should contact John Hodges at 773-4402 or at downtowngarner@nc.rr.com.