Lebanon City to apply for $100,000 Main Street Matters grant for downtown facades

Lebanon City staff said they will submit a $100,000 grant application under the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Main Street Matters program to fund façade improvements in the city’s Central Business District.

Mayor (not specified) told council the grant would target commercial and mixed-use properties in the Central Business District, which staff described roughly as Fifth to Twelfth streets and Willow to Chestnut (staff advised property owners to consult the official map to confirm eligibility). The program is a 50/50 matching grant, with awards of up to $10,000 per property to support permanent, street-visible exterior improvements.

Eligible projects would include storefront restoration, window and door replacement, masonry repair, painting or façade cleaning, exterior lighting and restoration of architectural features. Staff said the Design Review Board will review projects for consistency with established design standards set forth in the zoning ordinance.

At the meeting, staff said they have conducted outreach and solicited letters of interest from property and business owners; at least one business, Queen’s Natural Foods, had expressed interest in applying for façade work along a narrower street (Liberty). Staff noted that some applicants provided contractor estimates while others supplied general letters of interest. Councilors asked about prior façade programs; staff said previous façade improvements were administered through the Lebanon Foundation in 2018–19 after the city received Main Street designation in 2018.

The resolution to authorize filing the application was reviewed and scheduled for formal consideration at the Monday meeting; a council member volunteered to “take” the resolution for action. No formal vote was recorded during this session.