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Council authorizes RDBG grant application to support proposed Mount Carmel laundromat
Summary
The council voted to authorize the city to apply for an RDBG grant that would finance equipment for Wabash Laundry LLC at 516 North Market; the company would repay the city over 10 years, allowing the grant dollars to remain local.
The Mount Carmel City Council voted to authorize the city to apply for an RDBG grant to support Wabash Laundry LLC’s planned laundromat at 516 North Market.
The authorization followed a presentation by the business’s representative, who said the grant would fund purchase of new machines that the city would buy and amortize to the business over 10 years. "The city of Mount Carmel, will be applying for this grant on behalf of Wabash Laundry LLC," the presenter said.
Why it matters: The Rural Development Grant (referred to in the meeting as the “RDBG grant”) would allow the city to use federal or state grant dollars to buy laundry equipment, retain the capital locally through a repayment arrangement and support a small-business incubator approach for downtown investment.
Wabash Laundry’s representative identified the planned site as 516 North Market — the building that previously housed a gaming business. He said the project would include facade work and improvements to the rear parking area to increase accessibility. "Just fix the front, the back parking lot so it's more accessible towards everyone and then just make a nice laundromat over here, which is up to date," he said.
He described the grant mechanics to the council: the city would receive grant funds, purchase the equipment and the business would repay the city over a 10-year period; after repayment, the grant-funded funds would remain local. He also noted modern features such as Wi-Fi-enabled equipment that shows customers remaining cycle time on their phones.
Council action: A motion to authorize the city to seek the RDBG grant passed on a roll-call vote. The meeting transcript records affirmative responses from multiple commissioners during the roll call, including "Commissioner Wheatley: Yes," "Commissioner Eitmeier: Yes," and "Zemmerer: Yes." The motion text and mover/second were not read verbatim in the transcript.
What was not decided: The council’s authorization was to seek the grant; the grant award, final contract terms, and any lease or repayment agreements between Wabash Laundry LLC and the city were not presented or approved at the meeting.
Next steps: Staff will proceed with the grant application process as authorized by the council. Any future agreements, equipment purchases or repayment schedules will require further documentation and likely council review.
