Bloomfield receives grant for downtown project

Friday, May 16, 2008
By Timberly Ferree, Staff Writer

Downtown Bloomfield will soon get a makeover.

On Friday morning, Town Council President Jo Ann Carmichael explained that the town has been awarded a downtown revitalization grant.

"It's going to make it so much nicer to visit and shop and live (in Bloomfield). We'll be proud of our downtown area," she told the Greene County Daily World.

The $500,000 grant will fund new curbing, sidewalks and lampposts to the east, north and west sides of the square.

This is the second time that the town has applied for the revitalization grant, she noted.

"The council before applied ... I guess they didn't have enough (support) letters," Carmichael explained.

So, Carmichael was determined to gain local support.

"This is when (Town Clerk/Treasurer) Sondra (Thompson) and I went out and got letters of support," she said. "We had over 500 letters."

After hearing the news, Carmichael said she was "ecstatic" and that the downtown makeover will "entice" more local business.

Additional details on the grant will be made available soon, she noted.

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Good job, Bloomfield! I'm glad we got more grant money into our county. Keep going on these grants and show the rest of the county how it's done!

-- Posted by The Raven on Mon, May 19, 2008, at 7:51 AM

It normally takes 2 or 3 times to get a CFF Grant for Downtown Revitalization funded. There is a high demand for these funds, and usually the majority of these funds go toward water, sewer, fire, and police improvements. Only a few of the CFF Grant submittals are approved for Downtown Revitalization. Both Linton and Worthington have received these grants already...

All I have to say, is that its about time. The Town of Bloomfield should have pursued this grant 10 to 15 years ago, when the downtown area really started to take a definite turn for the worse and businesses began vacating....

This money is only available to those who apply for it.

-- Posted by communitycentered on Mon, May 19, 2008, at 8:25 AM

This is great now the Town needs to hold the business owners accountable for the property they own on the square. There are some businesses that need fixed up. Let's do something about it, or the Dowtown Revitilization is for not.

-- Posted by Greene County's Finest on Tue, May 20, 2008, at 6:20 AM