Bradford City will receive $17,500 in COVID-19 relief to support its Main Street and Elm Street programs.
The funding is from the COVID-19 Relief – Supporting Elm and Main (SEAM) program. Gov. Tom Wolf announced the financial award Wednesday.
“SEAM provides financial assistance to community revitalization organizations dedicated to community and economic development in older and historic downtowns, commercial districts, and neighborhoods according to the principles of the Elm Street and Main Street approaches,” stated a press release from Wolf’s office.
SEAM is supported by Keystone Communities funding and helps organizations that have been economically impacted by COVID-19.
Sarah Matzner, Main Street/Elm Street coordinator, talked about the importance of the two revitalization programs in Bradford.
“The Main Street and Elm Street programs strive to promote these areas as places to live, work and visit,” she explained. “We focus on things like business recruitment, façade improvement, community advocacy and special events.”
Shane Oschman, executive director of the Office Of Economic and Community Development, explained why the city applied for the funding.
“Basically, we had a substantial funding gap last year because of COVID including fundraising deficiencies through direct mail and cancelled events,” he said. “This grant will help us fund fiscal gaps and allow our Main Street/Elm Street initiatives to continue without interruption.”
Oschman said that it was Matzner who worked on getting the grant.
According to Matzner, the funding can be used for a number of specific program costs incurred between March 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021. She shared a list from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development website of costs the grant can cover.
Costs can include salaries and benefits for program employees, as well as operational costs such as rent/mortgage and utilities including electric, water, internet and phone. These also can cover “recovery and resiliency costs as a result of COVID-19 to include internet meeting service fees/licenses, equipment purchases, off-site/cloud data storage, cybersecurity.”
The local award was one of 43 projects that are receiving a combined $2 million in SEAM program funding.
Among those eligible were Keystone Main Street, Keystone Elm Street or Keystone Communities organizations; 2020 Nationally Accredited Main Street programs; and community development organizations. Applicants are required to employ a paid professional manager or coordinator to administer the revitalization program.
“Over the past year, communities across the commonwealth have faced devastating impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Pennsylvania’s network of community development organizations never ceased answering the call for help,” said Gov. Wolf. “Our Elm Street and Main Street programs work tirelessly year in and year out—even in the best of times—to improve their communities, and this funding will provide them with the support they need to overcome the challenges they’ve recently faced.”
Learn more about the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development at dced.pa.gov.
