Grant Manager Tim O’Dell presents on business grant fund to the Jamestown Local Development Corporation board. (January 18, 2023)

Jamestown Local Development Corporation board members are requesting to review Business Expansion and Building Acquisition grant applications.

The American Rescue Plan funded program was allocated $750,000 by City Council with $749,980 in requests received from eight Jamestown businesses.

Department of Development Grant Manager Tim O’Dell said the City will experience a return on investment from the eight businesses who applied for funding, “All of these businesses have acquired property that was prior vacant or was partly vacant. And they will be running business operations there to make use of these buildings that delayed them from further decay and waste. And for this grant as well, many of these businesses are seeking to use these new spaces to create employment and optimize their business strategies.”

O’Dell said most of the work being done at the businesses includes HVAC repairs, roofing, interior work, and remodeling.

JLDC Board member and City Council Finance Committee Chair Kim Ecklund requested to see the business applications given that there were only eight received total, “It’s unfortunate that we only got eight because some of these people have received multiple funding other places too and some have not like Falcon Acquisitions is new, but I know we’ve seen Labyrinth get some funding and we’ve seen Panache get some funding through some other entities. So, they’re not newly getting funding, so I would’ve liked to see some new businesses, not necessarily new businesses, but new applications, if you will.”

JLDC Board member and Council President Tony Dolce agreed that all JLDC Board members should receive the applications to review.

The eight businesses who requested funding are the Beer Snob, BS Wholesale Florist, Falcon Acquisitions, Fringe, It’s Your Day, Labyrinth, Panache, and Summit Wealth Management.

The Jamestown Local Development Corporation Board will vote on the BEBA applications at its February meeting, which is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 15.

The Former Vikings Temple at at 318 Washington St.

JAMESTOWN – Another redevelopment project in downtown Jamestown has been awarded state funding.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday the awards for round five of the Restore New York Communities Initiative, which included $1 million for the restoration of the former Vikings Temple Building along Washington Street.

In November, it was announced that the father and son team of James and Martin Schwab, with assistance from the city of Jamestown and the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, were working toward restoring the 27,000-square-foot building located at 318 Washington St. and converting it into a restaurant and pub called “The Beer Snob.”