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Terah and Titan created “Stranger Things” and “Box Man” by Kyler at the 12th annual Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival in downtown Casper. (Gregory Hirst, Oil City News)
CASPER, Wyo. – On Wednesday, the Downtown Development Authority of Casper’s board of directors discussed some ideas about some new ways the DDA can support downtown businesses and property owners.
The DDA receives money from a mill tax levied on property owners in the district, which is voted on and approved by those property owners before the tax is imposed. DDA Executive Director Kevin Hawley said some of that money will go to a new grant program to help owners make improvements in the city’s downtown district.
The Hawley board suggested that downtown property owners consider establishing a grant program using $5,000 to $10,000 a year in property taxes to help offset the costs of improvements to their properties, such as paving sidewalks.
Someone recently asked if DDA had such a grant program, prompting Hawley to bring the idea to the board.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Deb Clark, owner of Eval.com and DDA board member.
Clarke also said she heard from someone about removing the false building fascia covering the original brickwork in the city. She also suggested a grant program to help might be something to consider.
Board Chairman Tim Schenck said removing such fashions covering the original brick should be done with care because in some cases the original brick could be damaged when the new exterior is added.
The DDA has already provided some support to businesses to make improvements to buildings. Hawley said when such a program was discussed 6-7 years ago, Lou Taubert suggested that grants be limited to funding exterior work on property rather than adding new sprinkler lines on property. Hawley said the point is that the grant should be a mutual benefit to the city’s owners.
Schenk thought it would be a good idea to focus the grant program on supporting foreign jobs rather than domestic ones.
While the amount of money the DDA can provide may not be enough to make a big difference on expensive projects, Howey said the grant program could serve as an incentive to encourage property owners to take care of smaller exterior maintenance issues. Otherwise, it can turn off.
Board Treasurer Nicholas Grooms thinks the grant program is a good use of mill dollars the DDA receives from city property owners to support development of the downtown area.
“I think it falls right into our mission,” Grooms said.
Clark said the grant program could be part of an effort to try and entice people to bring businesses downtown. She added that she would like to see the board devote more time to attracting new businesses and tenants to the downtown area.
Both Clark and Grooms noted that downtown offers some affordable opportunities for businesses to rent.
Friends say the downtown area is moving in a good direction. With so many businesses operating out of the first floor, he thinks this could encourage businesses to extend their hours, something the DDA would like to see.
Creating a grant program adds another feature the DDA can highlight when advising businesses to consider locating downtown, Grooms said.
Hawley thinks downtown is having some success.
“Downtown is doing well in what I thought was a terrible economy,” he said.
Having a grant program that focuses on helping businesses take care of small outdoor operations can also be beneficial, Hawley said, adding that he thinks businesses will invest in improvements when their neighbors do so.
Hawley encouraged the board to consider some priority projects that the proposed grant program could focus on. He suggested things like sidewalk improvements, new walls, ADA-accessible ramps or outdoor lighting.
The board has not voted to create the new grant program, but appears open to the idea. If the program is started in a short period of time, DDA will have to revise the budget for the current fiscal year as it has not allocated funds for such a program in the new budget.
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