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EDA awards JumpStart grants Date published: 4/13/2010
BY EMILY BATTLE
Facade improvements for three small businesses, a downtown mural and a major expansion for one local restaurant are among the projects awarded grants from Fredericksburg's JumpStart program yesterday. JumpStart is funded by Fredericksburg's Economic Development Authority, with the fees the EDA collects off tax-free bonds it has allowed private businesses to access. The EDA made $75,000 in grant awards yesterday. This was the last quarterly round of grants for this fiscal year. The EDA has awarded $264,000 in grants this year. Here are yesterday's grant awards: Downtown Retail Marketing Inc. got $8,000 for an art project on Caroline Street. DRMI wants to commission six artists to each design one panel to hang on the fence between Bangkok Cafe and Wally's Ice Cream in the 800 block of Caroline Street. Six-thousand dollars would pay the artists, and $2,000 would be used for supplies and maintenance. Madeline Ruth, a consignment shop in the 600 block of Caroline Street, got $2,500 to go toward facade improvements. The shop's owner told the EDA she wanted to draw more visitors to this block of Caroline. Old Town Steak & Seafood got a total of $39,500 for its expansion plans. Five-thousand dollars will go toward awnings on the restaurant's new Princess Anne Street store-front. The rest will go toward the sprinkler system and handicap-accessible bathroom Old Town must install as part of its $500,000 expansion. The Bavarian Chef got $20,000 for new signs and improvements the restaurant wants to make to the outdoor dining area in front of the city's former train station, where the restaurant plans to open this month. The Bavarian Chef has also received an incentives package worth $90,000 from the Fredericksburg City Council. The EDA agreed to pay for a $5,000 sponsorship for the Celebrate Virginia Live concert series. The series had asked for a five-year annual commitment of $60,000 to help pay for a portable stage that would also be used at other venues. Authority members said they did not want to pay for a stage that would not always be in the city. Emily Battle: 540/374-5413
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