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CRA updates: commission boosts commercial facade grant, launches downtown soft-wash and approves mural plan with edits
Summary
The Community Redevelopment Agency approved updates to the commercial façade grant (raising the city match to 75% and the maximum grant to $10,000), authorized a $37,500 program budget, launched a downtown soft-wash pilot, and approved a mural for the annex building with edits requested by commissioners.
The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) of the City of Newberry on June 9 approved changes to the commercial façade grant program to make it a stronger incentive for downtown building improvements and received several CRA program updates.
CRA staff proposed changing the grant match from a 50/50 reimbursement to a 75/25 model (city covers 75% of eligible work, applicant 25%), increasing the maximum grant from $5,000 to $10,000 (meaning a total project could be up to about $13,000 with the applicant paying the remainder). Staff also proposed changing reimbursement timing to allow a 50% reimbursement upon proof of contractor payment to allow projects to proceed without the business financing everything up front. The CRA set a preliminary program budget of $37,500 for the façade program; staff said the overall CRA budget can be adjusted if demand exceeds the initial allocation.
The CRA coordinator described a downtown "soft-wash" pilot set to begin June 10–12, covering six participating buildings at a contracted cost to the CRA; the pilot grew from outreach to downtown businesses and the façade program effort. Staff also reported sidewalk and gateway improvements, demolition of blighted buildings, and other CRA-funded projects in progress.
The meeting included review of a proposed mural on the annex building. Commissioners voiced preferences for imagery emphasizing local history and civic identity: they asked staff to replace a train motif with a veterans memorial or an old fire truck nod, make the letters spelling NEWBERRY more pronounced (3-D effect suggested) and add local elements such as ponds and native vegetation. Staff said the mural artist will prepare revised renderings for HARB review; the commission voted to approve the mural concept with the requested edits.
The resolution to adopt the updated commercial façade grant program (Resolution 2025-CRA-02) was approved unanimously; staff said it will begin outreach to building owners and accept applications under the new terms.
