Friday, February 7, 2025
AUBURN, Ind. – The Auburn Redevelopment Commission approved the reimbursement of its first Auburn Façade Program grant for 2025 during its February 7 meeting.
The request by Stuart and Abby Hood of Assurance Title Company, 120 W. Eighth Street was approved, and the work was finished in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The Hoods applied for the maximum grant amount -- $15,000 – and received it spending $30,018.40 on the renovation of the building’s façade. The Hoods replaced nine windows, which included the black roof coping to match. New black fencing was also installed to surround a condensing unit, hiding it from the public.
The Hoods will look to continue renovations to their aging building with a second façade grant in 2025. Future plans include repairing the stucco on the building and painting the façade.
The program is a partnership between the City of Auburn, Auburn Redevelopment Commission and Auburn Main Street. Façade grants allow local business owners to repair and renovate the exterior of those buildings, 50 years and older.
Business owners are eligible for $15,000 in matching grant monies. Grant applications and other information about the program is available on the City’s website at https://ci.auburn.in.us/161/Building-Planning-Development or by contacting Facade Review and Design Committee Chair, Logan Shank 260.515.3967 or logan.shank01@gmail.com.
A 100-percent reimbursement of actual architectural or engineering costs associated with façade improvements, providing the owner utilizes the technical input in the façade renovation, not to exceed $2,500.
Since the program’s inception seven grants have been awarded totaling $119,341.12 in investment of private/public dollars within the city’s historic downtown district and surrounding area.