Stinnett
Of the many benefits that Downtown Cottage Grove can offer, the Main Street Revitalization Grant has to be near the top of the list.
Recently, the State Historic Preservation Office of Oregon announced that it will fund the Main Street Revitalization Grant in 2022-23 after a Covid-related hiatus in 2020-21. The grant application process will take place this coming spring, and it could end with a Cottage Grove business or non-profit receiving up to a $200,000 grant for a project that aligns with the Main Street program’s goals.
A nationwide program, Main Street works to revitalize downtowns through efforts to promote economic vitality, enhance a community’s design, promote activities downtown and organize its revitalization efforts. Main Street Cottage Grove has been part of the program for several years, and last year, Main Street merged with the Economic and Business Improvement District to form Downtown Cottage Grove.
Projects that will be chosen for the Main Street Revitalization Grant must be located within the boundaries of Main Street Cottage Grove, which include the downtown Historic District and areas to the north and south on Highway 99 and east and west on Main Street. A successful project will involve acquiring, rehabilitating, or building structures in that area. It must also “facilitate community revitalization that will lead to private investment, job creation or retention, establishing or expanding viable businesses, or creating a stronger tax base.”
Property owners who wish to apply for the grant “must demonstrate the past or prospective capacity to work with project leaders in designated local communities or downtown Main Street districts.” Most recently, Main Street Cottage Grove applied for a Revitalization Grant on behalf of Len Blackstone, owner of downtown Cottage Grove’s Bank Building. The grant helped Blackstone finish the building, which is now thriving with upstairs apartments, a pizzeria and popular coworking space on the ground floor.
Got a project that the Main Street Revitalization Grant can help make possible? Contact us at [email protected] or at 541-731-9284 to learn more. We’ll be reviewing grant proposals in January to prepare for an anticipated March application deadline.
Jon Stinnett is the Downtown Cottage Grove Program Administrator, and a city councilor.
