By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
The Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation is starting a brand-new program to help small business owners in Copperas Cove.
The CCEDC has allocated $25,000 in funds that will reimburse business owners for the improvements they make to their properties.
The Business Improvement Grant program will have a maximum grant amount capped at $5,000 and is a 50 percent matching grant.
Eligible projects submitted by business owners can include replacing signs or painting the exterior of their building. Projects can also include interior work such as HVAC, electrical or plumbing. A business owner can also apply for a grant that would help fund something like parking lot resurfacing.
There are some stipulations, such as the business must be within the Copperas Cove city limits and be on commercial property. If a business owner isn’t the property owner, they must provide a copy of the lease and a letter of permission from the property owner. Also, after the grant is awarded and should the business close within six months, the owner is responsible for repaying grant funds back to the CCEDC. That figure is 50 percent if the business closes within 12 months.
The business improvement grant program had been in the works for a little over a year and had been drafted, but the recent kickstart came with some additional inspiration from a city staff member going through the City of Copperas Cove’s Developmental Leadership Academy, said Sean Stevens, Assistant Director of the CCEDC.
“Anna Rodriguez from Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful was in the class, and she needed to prepare a capstone presentation of a proposal to improve something for the city,” said Stevens. “She had decided to do a facade grant program, not knowing that we already had one in the works. She approached me about it, and I said, ‘Here, I’ve already done it.’ She did the presentation, but it did spur interest in launching the program.”
The City of Belton has a similar program, called the FIG program – Façade Improvement Grant, and Rodriguez used some of that for her presentation.
The CCEDC is officially launching its program Oct. 1, but business owners are encouraged to contact Sean Stevens with any questions and to obtain an application. He can be reached at sstevens@coveedc.com or by calling (254) 547-7874
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