Guthrie Center’s downtown revitalization project will soon be underway, as the Iowa Economic Development Authority recently approved a $500,000 block grant that will allow 22 downtown business owners to improve the facades of their buildings.

Guthrie Center Mayor Denny Kunkle says a lot of credit for receiving the grant goes to City Administrator Laura Imerman.

“She worked her tail off dealing with the business people and getting all the information that was required for the grant application.  It’s a time consuming thing; took a lot of time to get through it but we finally did.  It was all worth it.”

But is there more money out there to be had for the revitalization project?  Mayor Kunkle thinks so, as long as Guthrie Center can get involved with the Main Street Iowa Program, also funded by the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

Kunkle says the program contributed a million dollars to a movie theater project in Burlington, Iowa, and he feels the program could open up another funding source for Guthrie Center too.

“There are grant monies out there to be had, but unfortunately you have to know how to get them and play by their rules and so on, and one of their rules is to this kind of grant money (a million plus dollars) is you’ve got to be in the Main Street Program.  We just look at it as a real opportunity for our business people in the future to take advantage of some of these programs that will really help them.  We’re anxious to get going on it and see whether it’s something we can put together or not, and hopefully we can get it done.”

Guthrie Center’s revitalization project is projected to be finished by the fall of 2014 according to Kunkle.

To hear our full conversation with Mayor Kunkle, tune in to today’s Let’s Talk Guthrie County on 107.9 FM, KKRF, during the 9am, noon or 5 o’clock hours.