Girard celebrates completion of downtown revitalization

October 19, 2017 at 7:33p.m.

GIRARD

Thanks to a collaboration among a group of business owners, the city of Girard and the Trumbull County Commissioners’ office, 27 downtown businesses received major renovations as a result of the 2015 Community Development Block Grant from the federal government.

The CDBG is reserved for low to moderate-income areas.

County commissioners received nearly $500,000 of federal grant money for use in the revitalization project.

To celebrate the completion of the nearly two-year project — the commissioners’ office won the grant in 2015 and spent more than a year renovating businesses — officials from the city, the county and local business owners and residents attended a ribbon cutting ceremony outside the Blackhorse Tavern and Grille, one of the businesses benefitting from the grant.

Mayor James Melfi addressed the group gathered outside the business, particularly the small business owners who participated in the revitalization program.

“We recognize the demands of running your own business. Small business owners work long hours and bear the burden of maintaining their own properties,” he said. “Government grants like this afford small businesses the opportunity to continue to operate.”