Slippery Rock borough to apply for Main Street Matters grant
With a unanimous 7-0 vote, Slippery Rock Borough Council voted to approve a resolution to apply for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Main Street Matters grant program.
The application would be an extension of a long-discussed economic development plan to support businesses, borough manager Christian Laskey said.
The previous version of the plan encountered a setback during council’s July 15 meeting, but this grant offers a solution, if successful.
“We’re hopeful that this one pulls through,” Laskey said in the meeting.
The application for the grant, due Aug. 31, is nearly complete.
“If awarded, this grant money will be available for downtown borough businesses to apply for,” according to Laskey.
Through the grant, the borough would act as a middleman to facilitate the exchange between businesses and DCED. The outcome of the application will not affect borough taxpayers.
Laskey said the grant funds, which may total up to $100,000, would be used toward blight mitigation on South Main Street and facade development.
The Main Street Matters program is a newer program, but a relatively complicated one, Laskey said.
“If this goes great, we might explore actually becoming a ‘Main Street Matters’ designated community, which would then prioritize us for more grants in the future,” Laskey said. “We’re just dipping our toes in the water right now.”
