Residents will soon begin to see the effects of the Village of Mineola’s façade improvement grant assistance program, which incentivizes business owners to renovate their storefronts in an effort to provide a more cohesive-looking downtown.
Since April, about 40 businesses from Station Plaza, north to Harrison Avenue, including both sides of Mineola Boulevard, have been presented with free renderings of what their storefronts could look like with better signage, lighting and awnings. Tom Savino, president of Vision Accomplished, the firm spearheading the project, said many businesses have expressed interest in upgrading their façades, with Franwin Pharmacy set to start improvements in the next few weeks and three to five other businesses finalizing contracts, and hopefully having their work completed by the end of November.
Allen Sankovich, co-owner of Franwin Pharmacy, said they had already been thinking of doing exterior improvements to the store, so when the village came to them with the proposal and rendering, it was a “no-brainer.”
“I think it’s great they want to do something to revitalize downtown Mineola, given all the building that’s occurring in the area,” Sankovich said. The pharmacy has been in Mineola for more than 80 years, and did interior renovations within the last year, with the last exterior renovations taking place about six to seven years ago. “I think it’ll be a domino effect. If the established stores are doing things to help improve the community, I think the community is more apt to support the businesses in the community. It gives them a good feeling about where they live.”
While the beginning stages of the program were a “lengthy” process, as there were several approvals from village, county, state and federal entities that had to be acquired, once everything was given the go-ahead and word spread about the program, “the snowball picks up speed,” Savino said. He added that there was also a push for the all the work to be done in a way that doesn’t disrupt the business too much.
“We try to have everything in play, so whatever condition the building is in, it stays in that condition and the business keeps running until we’re ready to go out,” Savino said. “Depending on the amount of work, it takes about five to 10 days, so it doesn’t disrupt business too much. A lot of coordination has to take place, but once it’s done, everyone’s really happy.”
The program is continuing to gain steam, as artists are starting renderings to present additional business owners on Main Street. The standard plan for façade improvement includes the installation of new signs with gold lettering, goose neck lights, non-retractable grey or burgundy awnings and accessories such as sign panels, but building owners can choose the extent to which they want to renovate, opting to just add new lighting for example, or additional items like painting or changing the doors.
Having businesses in the downtown area will provide a more unified feel, cutting down on visual noise. Savino notes that while the goal is cohesiveness, it’s important the businesses maintain their individual character so they don’t look exactly the same.
“We want to have the storefronts be harmonious, but not the same. They’ll be complementary so they fit with each other,” Savino said.
The façade improvement program was approved by the board in February, and allows owners of commercial properties to enter into a contract with the village to receive planning, guidance and the use of approved contractors, sign and awning makers, etc. The program gives the business financial help, as the village will pay for up to 75 percent of the upgrades with the business pitching in at least 25 percent. Funding for the program comes from community development block grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
