Amory Main Street taking applications from businesses for Facade Grants

AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) -A downtown Main Street association in one Monroe County town has taken applications from businesses that wanted to improve their views from the street.

Any business owner will tell you that first impressions are crucial, that’s why Amory Main Street is taking applications for a grant program that will help businesses spruce up their facades.

“When you’re opening a new business, funds are available for certain things and not for others,” said Shanon Hyatt, who opened Brown Eyes Bakery a year and a half ago, fulfilling a longtime dream of owning her own bakery.

The interior was complete, but money was tight for exterior work. That’s when Shanon applied for and received a facade grant through Amory Main Street Association. Just what she needed to put her best face forward.

“It gave us the money we needed just for that pop out front to show up to people traveling through town, we’ve had people say, I saw the bright pink and had to stop in and see what your bakery was all about, it really has brought a lot of business to us,” Hyatt said.

That is one reason the owners of a new restaurant named “The Gemstone” applied for the grant this year.

Mike Freed and Chad Houston are putting last-minute touches on the inside of their restaurant, but they also have plans to make the outside more attractive.

“We wanted to restore it to its original architecture and get as close to that as we could, what this program does for us, it allows us to do that, it will be a huge benefit for us,” Freed said.

Amory Main Street Director Alyssa Benedict said the grant not only helped individual businesses but the entire downtown district.

“Our goal at Amory Main Street Association is to give our locals and visitors a great place to be able to enjoy playing downtown, eating and shopping, ultimately we want it be aesthetically pleasing to them, we want it to look good, want people to be able to be proud to come downtown and spend time in their hometown,” Benedict said.

Businesses have until June 5 to apply for the facade grants, a committee will review the proposals and make their decision.

Those grants will reimburse business owners for the work done to spruce up the facade. Applications are open for members of the Amory Main Street Association.

More information can be found on the group’s Facebook page, or you can email amorymainstreet@gmail.com or call 662 256 8700.