Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
WASHINGTON – Joe Myers has always been interested in architecture and helping his hometown of Washington, so when an opportunity to purchase a downtown building came up, he didn’t hesitate to invest.
A year after purchasing the building, Myers has restored the facade – removing old white siding that was covering up the lower story windows – and is close to finishing the interior renovation. He hopes to have a business/retail tenant operating out of the storefront in October.
“I’ve always cared about the downtown and older architecture and history in general interests me,” Myers said. “I like to find opportunities to invest in something and I could see that downtown was coming up and this would do some good for the community.”
Myers, who is a member of Discover Downtown Washington, worked with Tommy Kleckner from Indiana Landmarks on a design that maintained the facade’s historic integrity.
The facade work alone cost $20,000. Myers received a Quick Impact Facade grant from Discover Downtown Washington, the city’s Main Street organization. He also applied for and received a low interest loan from Radius Indiana to make facade improvements.
In 2023, Radius obtained funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to start a facade loan program administered by Spark Downtown, an educational program that helps community leaders take steps to create new businesses and address vacancy in downtowns.
The low-interest loans are open to businesses located in communities that participate in Spark Downtown. Washington is a Spark Downtown participant.
The downtown-focussed nonprofit stepped up to offer the loans, since many communities often lack the necessary funding to assist with revitalizing blighted areas of their downtowns. Building owners in participating Spark Downtown communities are eligible to apply and must receive committee approval and be able to secure 50 percent matching funds.
“Mr. Myers is the first recipient of our Spark Downtown Facade Loan Program. He worked with Indiana Landmarks on a plan and that’s what was submitted to the State for approval,” said Blaine Parker, director of entrepreneurship and small business for Radius Indiana. “From there it has been a delight to watch the progress being made on this facade. Joe was great to work with, and did a wonderful job with his improvements to this building. I’m glad Spark Downtown could assist Joe in this project, and I can’t wait to see what happens with the potential in this building.”
The building at 16 E. Main St. has 1,150 square feet of storefront space. Potential tenants can learn more by contacting Myers at [email protected].