After seeing some businesses struggling to maintain their buildings downtown, the City of Halstead started a grant program for these businesses. The grants, known as “DRAGON Grants,” provide businesses with between $1,000 and $10,000. Reimer said that, in the past, the city allotted $40,000 for grants each year, but the city council voted to expand that to $50,000 for 2024. City Manager Ethan Reimer said these grants are a way for the city to provide some support to businesses in the community that they don’t get elsewhere. “It’s a recognition of the fact that some of our larger businesses qualify for tax reductions from the state, but smaller businesses that are anchors on Main Street don’t have that,” Reimer said. “This was started to help them and give them access to funding.” Funding comes from the city’s General Fund Expenditure, which also funds the Community Foundation and the Old Settlers Festival. Reimer said the city prefers grants being used to fix exterior facade issues and to bring buildings up to code. The grants are flexible, however. Reimer said they could be used for everything from fixing structural issues to buying new machinery. Startup costs, like buying new machinery, do require a business plan.
Source: Harvey County Now
