Investments Show Results

Renewed interest in patronizing local businesses and the Millennial focus on walkable communities is putting older buildings in the spotlight and driving downtown revitalization in many communities. In Hobart, the city is using a façade grant program to spur investment in the nineteenth-century commercial district.

Creation of Hobart’s Preservation Commission came too late to save the Strattan building (above) in the city’s historic downtown.

The city established the seven-member Hobart Historic Preservation Commission in 2007 to combat the deterioration of historic commercial buildings, but unfortunately not in time to prevent demolition of the 1876 Strattan Opera House. Two years later, the preservation commission and Indiana Landmarks helped the Hobart Redevelopment Commission create a façade grant program to serve as an incentive for property owners to rehabilitate their properties.

In its first year the program made seven matching grants for improvements to downtown storefronts, and in 2010 Hobart celebrated designation of its downtown as the Lake George Commercial Historic District, its first locally designated district. The area includes approximately 45 buildings, most built between 1872 and 1888.

The grants remain available, offering a dollar-for-dollar match up to $50,000 per building. Eligible improvements include anything visible from public sidewalks or neighboring Lake George – storefronts, windows, lighting, and the back of buildings that face the water. Many business owners also take advantage of separate $1,000 matching grants for installation of new signage and awnings, a small investment that can make a big impact.

To date, the Redevelopment Commission has awarded more than $300,000 for exterior improvements through the program, leveraging at least another $300,000 in private investment. The results show in improvements to 23 buildings — storefronts reopened to original size, original architectural features uncovered and repaired, and structural repairs to historic facades. Improvements must meet guidelines established by the Preservation Commission to make sure they maintain the historic character of downtown.

The momentum built through the grant program has had a positive effect on other downtown buildings and inspired city officials to further invest in infrastructure and new street-scaping. With help from Indiana Landmarks’ Partners in Preservation grant program, the Redevelopment Commission also listed the downtown commercial district in the National Register of Historic Places, which makes the district eligible for funding through state and federal rehabilitation programs.

Next time you are in Hobart, take a drive along Main Street to admire the handsome results, and be sure to stop by and support the local shops on November 24 for Small Business Saturday.