According to Casey Woods, Emporia Main Street Executive Director, Mike Turnbull was a “catalyst” for the community, taking the initiative to invest in projects that would lead to “bigger and better things” for Emporia. The Turnbull Facade Grant Program, launched by Main Street in early December, honors the late owner of Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home by giving Emporia businesses the ability to “activate” their exterior through design.
Turnbull allocated money in his will to be used for economic development in Emporia, and Woods said that the Facade Grant Program combines Turnbull’s dedication to giving with his appreciation for design. Turnbull was a board member of Main Street for many years and passed away in 2019. The Facade Grant Program is open to any commercial business in downtown Emporia and provides grant recipients with up to $10,000 to remodel their exterior and “activate” upper-story spaces.
“They’re [Turnbull Foundation] trying to stay consistent with his memory and the things that he valued and understood were important for the community,” Woods said. “This is one of those value pieces. Mike was a big supporter of entrepreneurs, he was one of the individuals that really understood the connection between place and placemaking and the success of those different entrepreneurial businesses, and this is a way that his spirit can continue to engage that success for Emporia.”
Businesses have until January 31st, 2025 to apply for a grant and up to 12 months to complete the project upon grant approval. Grant recipients are expected to use the grant to remodel their exterior, and special consideration will be given to businesses seeking to use the grant to open a previously closed space or open a previously unused building. The exterior remodel must stay consistent with design guidelines outlined by Main Street and retain historic standards of the Emporia Downtown Historic District
“We want to make sure that windows are windows, and that window openings are windows and not inappropriate materials,” Woods said. “We want to make sure that the original building material is showcased and not covered up. We want to make sure that the concept of bulkhead and display windows and transom windows is replicated to allow for natural light and an inviting atmosphere.”
Woods claimed that the focus on upper-story activation is an attempt to meet a growing housing shortage in Emporia and become more taxbase efficient.
“It also encourages businesses to stay open later, makes them more profitable, and so you get to effect a variety of different things positively with one action,” Woods said. “We get to create housing, we get to continue to adaptively reuse our infrastructure which is great for the taxpayer, we get to put customers adjacent to different businesses.”
Businesses must be able to provide a dollar-for-dollar match for their grant amount to prove that they can accomplish the project, and no funds can be used for interior design or routine maintenance. Woods expects that the exterior design changes will increase foot traffic in the downtown area and draw in new consumers.
Woods stated, “We don’t like to walk into unknown environments, but if you use proper design techniques, people know what the business is, they know what they’re walking into, they feel comfortable with that setting because they can see what they’re walking into and that makes them more likely to spend with that business or create that foot traffic, which is important for business survival.”
Woods counted Turnbull as a personal friend and mentor, and said that Turnbull would have enjoyed the before and after effects of the facade grant program, and the opportunity to give an entrepreneur the opportunity to bring its exterior design to the next level.
“I will look forward to hanging a poster in the window that says “This facade was made possible by the Turnbull Foundation” and knowing that Mike will be smiling down and, knowing his personality, giving me a little bit of trouble on anything that was done incorrectly,” Woods said.
