The City fo Wayland’s DDA has been awarded a $200,000 grant through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Façade Restoration Initiative pilot program to be presented Monday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. at 120 South Main Street, Wayland.

 

“The City of Wayland is extremely pleased to be selected for this grant,” City Manager Josh Eggleston said. "The City of Wayland and the greater West Michigan region is in the midst of some amazing things from an economic sense. The improvements to our Main Street properties that this grant provides will only help to sustain and enhance the city’s economic vitality, curb appeal, and ultimately its quality of life.”

 

Wayland has a waiting list of eight owner-occupied projects needing façade repairs, including some buildings that require historic restoration.  The grant will allow the DDA to increase the number of historic properties that will help the community toward its goal of designation on the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic District.

 

“We are honored to have been chosen from the many communities that responded to the Request for Information,” said Wayland Main Street/DDA Executive Director Ingrid Miller.

“Not only does being awarded this opportunity recognize the positive impact of our program to date, it gives us the boost we need to move forward on many projects. The face of our downtown will be radically changed in a relatively short period of time. We are grateful to have been selected.” 

 

The $1.5 million Façade Restoration Initiative expands state support for façade improvement projects in Michigan communities by matching funds of up to 50 percent of façade restoration costs to local downtown development authorities, Main Street organizations, principal shopping districts or local authorities.

To be eligible, communities must have an existing and a locally administered façade improvement program in place.