HEART OF DANVILLE

News release

The Heart of Danville Main Street Program is seeking community input into their annual preservation grant awards via an all-new “Quick Fix Challenge.” Two downtown businesses will each win a $1,000 renovation grant, with winners being selected via voting on the Heart of Danville’s Facebook page.

Danville’s historic commercial district houses much of its significant local history and architecture, and serves as a regional center of civic, business, and cultural activity. By encouraging economic development within the historic district, the Heart of Danville supports the ongoing preservation of these buildings. 

The Quick Fix Challenge will provide a quick “boost” of financial assistance to property or business owners to do a small improvement project that will care for their historic buildings, strengthen their businesses, and enhance the overall appeal of downtown Danville.

Executive Director Dustin Duvall says the Quick Fix Challenge is a great way to involve the community in downtown preservation and revitalization work. “We have been doing building improvement grants for years, but very few people other than the business owners themselves were aware of the program,” explains Duvall. “This new format invites community members to prioritize the projects they think will be most beneficial to downtown Danville.”

Seven downtown businesses have submitted grant proposals for consideration, ranging from window repair to awning replacement to lighting for a public art installation. Community members can find more details about each of the projects on the Heart of Danville Facebook page. To vote for a project, simply “react” to its accompanying photograph on the page. There is no limit on how many projects an individual can vote for. 

Voting will be open through today, March 6.

• 201 W. Main Street (Centerpoint/201 Teen Center) – Awning replacement

The former Main Street Furniture building has been a staple in the downtown Danville community for years. For the past year or so, Centerpoint Church has been restoring this beautiful building to give back to the community. In this space, they are constructing a Teen Center to “provide services and resources for the Danville Community youth.” They have requested grant money to improve the outdoor awnings over the front entrance to the building.  The total project cost is estimated at $3,400.

• 209 W. Main Street (Offices) – Exterior repairs and cosmetic improvements

209 W. Main Street is an unassuming presence downtown, tucked next to the much larger building that formerly housed Main Street Furniture. Pending approval from the Architectural Heritage Board, owner Tim Montgomery’s grant request would partially fund new roofing, tuck-pointing for the brick, trim and painting, new gutters and the installation of an awning over the door. The total project cost is estimated at $6,660.

• 125 S. Second St (McDowell House) – Sidewalk repair

The historic McDowell House, located at 125 S. Second St., is an important historical tourist destination for Danville. Unfortunately, the sidewalk in front of the building has gradually transformed from “historic” to “hazardous” due to the inclusion of irregular bricks. The Executive Director of McDowell House is requesting funding to remove and replace the uneven bricks so that they are no longer a safety hazard to visitors and citizens of Danville. The project would also improve the look of the site. The total project cost is estimated at $1,825.

• 309 W. Main Street (Carol’s Bridal) – Window sill repair

The exterior window sills of Carol’s Bridal need a little TLC. Owners Carol and David Senn are requesting funding to repair, prime, and paint the windows and sills. The color will be the same as it currently is – just fresh! The total project cost is estimated at: $1,400.

• 135 N. Second St (Elmwood Inn Fine Teas) – Mural lighting

In 2018, the Danville Sister Cities Commission commissioned Belfast artist Dee Craig to design and install a beautiful mural on the side of the Elmwood Inn Fine Teas building on Second Street. In order to maximize the positive impact of this mural on the aesthetics of downtown, owner Bruce Richardson is requesting funding to install lighting for the mural. His proposal is for five goose-neck overhead LED lamps to be installed at the building’s roofline to illuminate the mural. The total project cost is estimated at $1,300.

• 116 N. First Street (Central Kentucky Hemp) – Restoration of stained glass windows

It is the small details that make so many of our buildings downtown beautiful and special – like the 19th century stained-glass windows that grace the front door and stairway window of Central Kentucky Hemp on. Owner Mary Noelker is requesting funding to restore her beautiful windows, a process which involves professional cleaning, along with replacement of aging and brittle putty under the lead channel. The current state of the windows is allowing water to seep in, creating the potential for further damage. The total project cost is estimated at $2,200.

• 127 W. Main Street (Henson Hotel Building) – Replace plate glass window

The stately Henson Hotel building on the corner of Second and Main streets is one of the key architectural anchors of downtown Danville. Unfortunately, the large plate glass window facing Main Street is badly cracked and must be replaced. Owners Charlotte and Eben Henson are requesting funding to replace the 78” x 55” window. It will be removed and replaced with ¼” clear annealed glass. The total project cost is estimated at $448.