A Dubuque nonprofit is rounding out a county-funded grant program aimed at downtown revitalization.
Dubuque Main Street has awarded $110,000 in matching grants to a variety of commercial and residential projects throughout the downtown area as part of its Dubuque County Swap Grant program.
Dubuque Main Street Executive Director Danielle Jacobs said the funding is meant to support revitalization in Dubuque’s downtown communities by helping cover costs associated with interior remodels or renovations.
“So many of the grants that we work with on the local and state level are facade grants to help with the outside of the building,” Jacobs said. “What’s nice about this is that we can put some money toward the inside of those buildings, too.”
Funding for the grants comes from $130,000 in federal money allocated to Dubuque Main Street by the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors in 2022.
Since the program was announced, Dubuque Main Street has received 40 applications. Of those, 11 were approved to receive up to $10,000 in grant funding, and the organization has $20,000 left to put toward other projects.
The grants require a one-to-one match, Jacobs explained, and the remaining funding must go to projects along Dubuque’s Central Avenue, per an agreement with the county supervisors that said half of the Swap Grant funding must go to projects along the corridor.
“It’s no secret that there is a lot of work going on right now to give the Central Avenue area the renaissance it deserves,” Jacobs said. “We’ve already given out everything we can to the other streets, so now we need to focus on Central.”
Already, several projects along Central Avenue have taken advantage of the funding including $10,000 allocated to Chris Richards for a residential project in the 1700 block and $9,750 awarded to owner Kayla Tyson for her new salon, River City Hair Co. at 1072 Central Ave.
Other entities supported by the program include developer Tom Kann, for interior improvements to his building at 950 Main St. and Ludovissy & Associates, an insurance agency that recently completed a major remodel at its new location at 302 Locust St.
Ludovissy & Associates relocated to Locust Street in January after a complete interior renovation on the building supported in part by Swap Grant funding, said managing partner Troy Leibold. Already, he said he feels the business has been embraced by the downtown community.
“We gutted the whole interior and made improvements from the ceiling to the drywall and the carpet,” he said. “We like the location and the downtown aesthetic, so it’s been going really well.”
Additional information about the grant program and remaining funds can be found online at dubuquemainstreet.com/about-5-2.