Red Oak receives $500K facade grant

RED OAK — The city of Red Oak was approved for a $500,000 Community Block Development Grant to improve the facades of 26 downtown businesses.

The grant, which has been in the works for about a year now, will cover 75 percent of the renovation costs. The other 25 percent is paid for by the individual businesses with assistance from the Downtown Urban Renewal Board.

City Administrator Brad Wright said Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture will be in charge of the project. The design stage will begin this fall and construction next summer.

This money will go toward outdoor appearances of the storefronts including windows, doors, signs and awnings.

“This is just one more piece of what we are trying to do downtown, which is to improve the overall appeal to attract more visitors,” Wright said.