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El Dorado Main Street reports accreditation, grants and downtown redevelopment plans
Summary
El Dorado Main Street told the City Commission it earned full accreditation, is administering nine downtown loans, secured a $100,000 HEAL grant and is pursuing multiple facade, second-story and historic rehabilitation projects.
El Dorado Main Street reported progress on downtown redevelopment, new funding and events during the City Commission meeting on May 20.
The quarterly presentation, delivered by El Dorado Main Street Director Emily Canel, highlighted organization and economic-vitality work downtown and noted that the nonprofit has received full accreditation from Main Street America and the state Main Street organization. "El Dorado Main Street works to preserve historic buildings, support downtown businesses and attract new enterprise, produce special events, and ensure quality experiences await in the downtown district," Canel said.
The report said Main Street is administering nine loans through its downtown loan program and is continuing to work on the Masonic Building rehabilitation, a project tied to a moderate-income housing grant and involving Frontier Development and Sun Group Realty. Canel said Main Street was recently awarded a HEAL grant for $100,000 to support a new downtown restaurant at District 142 and that a tourist-attraction grant application has been submitted for the Wiffle Ball Stadium.
Canel also described fundraising and promotional efforts. Main Street launched a new event called the Hot Shot Golf Challenge, scheduled for June 7; the presentation listed a $50 ticket price, a 100-ticket limit, and a large raffle prize described as a Pebble Beach Pro Am package. She said the organization logged 251 volunteer hours in the first quarter and added two board members.
Design and physical improvements were also discussed. Canel described collaboration with the city on a new facade program, free facade design assistance for the Knowles Building, the reinitiation of a historic building lecture series, and a private-foundation artscape grant of $10,000 to install a sculpture under consideration for a location near McDonald Street. She said the organization is working on a historic rehabilitation tax-credit application for the Knowles Building and exploring second-story residential feasibility in multiple downtown buildings.
The presentation closed with an appeal for continued coordination among city leadership, business owners, developers and preservation partners. No formal commission action was requested or taken on the presentation.
