New Castle Main Street recently facilitated a new grant opportunity for building owners in New Castle’s Downtown Historic Preservation Area. The Building Renovation Assistance Program (BRAP) is designed to help fund downtown New Castle property improvements. Property owners will match these grants with private investments to restore the appearance of their buildings, creating jobs, and building business diversity within New Castle.
“We are excited to work with the Redevelopment Commission, City leadership and downtown building owners to enhance New Castle Main Street’s mission,” said Corey Murphy, New Castle Main Street board member and BRAP committee member. “All of these entities have a vision of a vibrant downtown, and this money will help building owners do just that.”
Through funding by the New Castle Redevelopment Commission (RDC), the BRAP committee was able to grant almost $390,000.00 to downtown building owners. These owners matched these funds with investments totaling $810,000, meaning that $1.2 million is leveraged in overall downtown development.
Projects include the refurbishment of The Castle Theater, a new market rate apartment, and six new businesses. The projects will result in over 50 jobs created downtown and 1 new living space.
“I’m so excited to show everyone that New Castle invests in itself,” exclaimed Carrie Barrett, executive director of New Castle Main Street. “Because of the generosity of the RDC, our community will be seeing lots of construction activity in downtown New Castle, leading to continued growth and impact.”
