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Politics & Government

Patchogue's BID Receives Grant To Renovate Local Businesses

New York State's Main Street Grant has awarded Patchogue's Business Improvement District $500,000 to help improve local businesses over the next two years.

Many of the renovations that have recently been made to Patchogue's Main Street are a result of the New York State Main Street Grant, which has been awarded to Patchogue's Business Improvement District (BID) to help businesses improve their appearance.

BID has received $500,000 from the New York State Main Street Grant to reimburse local businesses within a targeted area to improve their appearance, inside and out.

According to Dennis Smith, Executive Director of BID, this is the second Main Street Grant BID has received from the state. In the coming weeks letters will be mailed to owners in the targeted area to inform them of the opportunity to apply for a piece of the funds, he said.

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The original 2008 $200,000 grant was turned into $1,073,000 of improvements to local businesses that included renovations to , 2 E Main St in Patchogue, and Bridgehampton National Bank, 41 E Main St. Smith said BID partnered with a $338,000 total investment on the Budget Buy and Sell building and a $650,000 total investment with Bridgehampton National Bank. This has led to facade improvements and renovations for both businesses.

The west side of South Ocean Avenue to the Four Corners and down the south side of West Main Street from the Four Corners to River Avenue is the next targeted area for the new grant said Smith.

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"The targeted area is basically phase two of what we accomplished with the 2008 New York State Main Street Grant," he said.

In some cases this grant can carry a seventy-five percent reimbursement depending upon the size and scope of each project and whether or not there's a housing component. Each application, Smith said, is looked at individually and that timeliness, readiness and funding available are some of the main components that are looked at when being considered. He said the applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received.

Marian Russo, CDA Executive Director, who has been working on the grants since their inception, said she is excited to see what can be done with the 2010 grant. Russo said that the business owner's investment doesn't have to be great.

"You improve your property and you get money back for doing it," she said.

Russo said that with the 2008 grant, Budget Buy and Sell was the greatest improvement because it's the image that people first see coming into the village from North Ocean Avenue and it really needed the facelift. The store, located on the Four Corners intersection, received a renovated roof and facade.

Smith said that he will be informing local banks of the grant to encourage them to work with local businesses if they need funding assistance.

Russo reached out to Smith in 2007 about the possibility of writing the grant. In 2008, he and Russo reached out to BID member Joel Peck for mapping and property I.D., and ever since they have been off and running.

"Our community is very good at finding resources," Russo said.

Smith said that applications for businesses to apply will be issued after March 20.

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