Town Awards Grants for Downtown Upgrades

The Town of Clayton has awarded $6,938 in grant funds to two local businesspeople to help pay for renovations to two downtown buildings.

Dorothy Parker and Herman Mitchiner got $5,000 for improvements made to the vacant building at 126 E. Main Street which is the new home of Zoom-In Photography and Studio Bleu Hair Salon.

The pair got an additional $1,938 for improvements made to the building at 424 E. Main Street, the home of Old Towne Supply.

"It's amazing what they were able to do with the buildings, to have taken something old and make it new again," said Mayor Jody McLeod during the grant presentation.

The funds were awarded through the town's Facade Grant program which reimburses half the cost of exterior commercial building improvements as an incentive to improve the appearance of downtown structures. The program has a $5,000 cap per project.

The Downtown Development Association's Design Committee assisted with both projects.

Improvements at 126 E. Main Street included re-painting the front facade and cleaning the brick on the west side of the building. The metal awning was replaced with a black canvas awning, and the display window glass and trim was replaced. The existing signboard area was painted, and three gooseneck-style lights were installed. Two additional lights were installed on either side of the entry door. Doors and trim were replaced, and wrought iron planters were installed on both sides of the main door. A wrought iron fence was also added adjacent to the building.

Improvements at 426 E. Main Street included the removal of an over-the-sidewalk pole-supported canopy and repainting the front, west facade and east facing wall a brick color with white trim. The upper cornice was extended above the front doors and to the western side of the building. Gutters were relocated to keep water from draining onto the sidewalk. To help break up the expanse of the front wall, the Design Committee recommended the planting of several Sky Pencil Japanese Hollies and to paint a new Old Town Supply sign directly to the building, which will replace an aluminum sign.

Another Facade project is presently underway at 427 W. Main Street, the old Lipscomb Hardware building.

For more information, please contact Downtown Development Coordinator Bruce Naegelen at 919-553-1545 or bnaegelen@townofclaytonnc.org or click here BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT