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Livingston URA approves facade grant for 116 S. Main, with staff to vet interior and overhead costs
Summary
The Livingston City Urban Renewal Agency on Tuesday approved a facade grant for 116 South Main Street, contingent on city staff verifying which bid items qualify under the URA's façade program.
The Livingston City Urban Renewal Agency on Tuesday approved a facade grant for 116 South Main Street, contingent on city staff verifying which line items in the contractor bid qualify under the URA facade program.
The grant application, submitted by building owner Ronald Judkins, requested what staff described in the meeting as "43,000, $116" (presented as half of the total project cost). Judkins told the board the work would restore the storefront to be compatible with the historic district and said he bought the building in 2007 to support downtown revitalization.
Board members raised questions about specific bid items. City staff and the board flagged a line labeled "Interior Finishing" and a contractor line for "company overhead and contingency" of $15,682 as probably ineligible under program rules, which reimburse direct exterior costs visible from the public right-of-way. City Manager Grant Gager told the board the program is a reimbursement program limited to direct exterior work and that "interior finishing was . . . more than likely was not allowable," while contingency funds that are used on allowable direct costs could be eligible.
Judkins said the quoted "interior finishing" referred to finishing the inside face of the new window framework and a new bulkhead adjacent to the storefront; he said a mosaic tile entry extends slightly inside the doorway by "a couple 2 and a half feet" and that his preference is to restore, not replace, that tile.
Chair Allison Micenzi moved to approve the grant for all allowable costs, with staff to work with the applicant to separate interior costs from exterior work and to adjust the reimbursable amount accordingly; a second was given and the motion passed. The board did not finalize a guaranteed dollar figure at the meeting.
What happens next: City staff will work with the applicant and the finance director to verify line-item costs and omit items not eligible under the program before the URA issues reimbursement. Judkins confirmed he will pay upfront and be reimbursed for eligible expenses after staff sign-off.
Quotes "I've been embarrassed by that facade for a a good while," owner Ronald Judkins said, explaining his motivation to restore the storefront. "The interior finishing was . . . more than likely was not allowable," City Manager Grant Gager said when describing staff review of the bid.
Ending The URA approved the application subject to staff verification of allowable costs; staff will return a reconciled allowable-cost figure to the applicant for the reimbursement agreement and final sign-off.
