By DALE HOGG
Barton County Media Consultant
The Barton County Commission approved Tuesday morning two separate Façade Improvement Grants, totaling $20,000, for local businesses on Great Bend’s Main Street. The projects will provide funding for exterior renovations at The Buckle and Sarge's Saloon.
R&M Gunn LLC, on behalf of The Buckle at 1313 Main St., applied for a $10,000 grant. The total project is valued at $81,154.50, with a matching contribution of $71,154.50 from the applicant. The match accounts for 88% of the total project cost.
L and K LLC, which operates Sarge’s Saloon at 2801 Main St., also sought a $10,000 grant. This project has a total cost of $21,860, with the applicant providing a match of $11,860, or 54% of the total cost.
“On the same day we approved our budget, we approved this investment into our downtown,” District 3 Commissioner Shawn Hutchinson said. Such investments, the commissioners said, not only increase the values of the businesses, but also the entire downtown.