A Jefferson-based business recently received a state grant.

Jefferson Matters: A Main Street and Chamber Community and Art on the Fly in downtown Jefferson were the recipients of a $100,000 Main Street Iowa Challenge Grant. The grants are through Main Street Iowa and Iowa Economic Development Authority to benefit building projects that contribute to the economic development of designated Main Street Iowa Districts.

This grant will help to offset the cost of facade renovations for the building owner Jolene Peters as the Jefferson City Council approved at a September meeting a 50/50 matching grant of $145,000 from the City’s Facade Rehabilitation Program. City Administrator Mike Palmer talks about the project for the Columbian Block.

“Art on the Fly is unique in that it has actually three facades that qualify. When we set up this program it was, what qualifies as a facade? Our definition is anything that faces a public right-of-way. So she has two alley facings and she has the front of the street. So what her application was for a 50/50 match is $145,000 to do these three facades.”

Art on the Fly was one of 12 other recipients of the Challenge Grant that totaled $3.6 million.