NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release, August 31, 2020

Media Contact:

Harrison Stiles

Marketing Coordinator

(859) 335-8640

harrison@downtownlex.com  

DLMD and DLP Award Reopening and Recovery Grants and New Windstream Partnership

The Downtown Lexington Management District (DLMD) and Downtown Lexington Partnership (DLP) created a Reopening and Recovery Grant Program in June to support downtown businesses who were trying to reopen while adhering to new operating guidelines. To date, grants totaling nearly $80,000 have been approved for 34 businesses to fund interior and exterior improvements to accommodate customers, replacement of inventory, expansion of outdoor seating, the purchase of PPE materials, cleaning and disinfecting costs, and expenses related to rent and staffing. The DLMD Board of Directors recently approved an additional $90,000 for the program. This additional funding will help support businesses within the Downtown Management District as they navigate these challenging times.

“DLMD is proud to continue supporting downtown businesses by funding this grant program. Our street-level restaurants and retailers are critical to the vitality of downtown, and the flexibility of this program directly addresses business needs as they navigate through the challenges of the pandemic,” said James Frazier, Chairman of the Downtown Lexington Management District Board of Directors.

The Reopening and Recovery Grant Program provides downtown street-level retail, restaurant, and bar businesses with a matching grant to assist in offsetting costs related to the impact of COVID-19. Businesses dealing with shutdowns and closures face many additional expenses to reopen safely. Eligible costs include interior and exterior improvements to accommodate customers, replacement of inventory, expansion of outdoor seating, the purchase of PPE materials, cleaning and disinfecting costs, and expenses related to rent and staffing. The grant offers a 75% match, up to $3,000, towards those costs. 

“Among the many challenges created by COVID-19 and the shutdowns are reopening with new costs, such as protective equipment, expanding outdoor seating, and the replacement of lost inventory. The Reopening and Recovery Grant program has helped address these issues and get doors back open,” said Aimee Lanza, owner of Centro. 

Additionally, DLP and DLMD are proud to partner with Kinetic by Windstream in order to expand offerings to grant recipients. Businesses are being faced with many challenges in today’s environment. We recognize that technology plays an important role in helping small businesses connect with customers and operate business as usual. For that reason, Kinetic by Windstream is providing a matching technology grant to Reopening & Recovery Grant recipients. As part of the matching technology grant, Kinetic by Windstream will provide interested grant recipients with the following:

• Free technology audit (in-person or virtual) to set up businesses for success
• Free solutions roadmap to connect businesses with the best technology for their business
• Up to $1,500.00 free services over the term of the contract

“Windstream has strong roots in Lexington, and we're committed to supporting the community where our employees and their families live and serve. For that reason, we're excited to announce a matching technology grant with the Downtown Lexington Partnership that will provide downtown businesses with state-of-the-art technology and business solutions,” said Brian Harman, president of Windstream in Kentucky. “At Windstream we celebrate local businesses, nonprofits and entertainment destinations that make Lexington a great place to live. Now more than ever, small businesses are relying on high-speed internet and technology solutions to operate business as usual. We hope that this matching grant will help downtown businesses reopen and stay open during this challenging time.”

Businesses interested in applying for the grant should contact Ethan Howard, DLP’s Director of Placemaking and Economic Development  at ethan@downtownlex.com.

List of Recipients

About DLP and DLMD

The Downtown Lexington Partnership (DLP) is the non-profit umbrella Downtown organization formed in 2017 to provide a single point of contact and accountability and a coordinated approach to Downtown revitalization and management. DLP encourages responsible economic development, produces events, addresses issues on behalf of stakeholders and promotes downtown Lexington. DLP has over 350 members and produced more than 60 events for the public in 2018 including Central Bank Thursday Night Live, Mayfest Arts Fair, Lexington’s Fourth of July Festival, and more.  DLP manages the programs and service of the Downtown Lexington Management District (DLMD) on behalf of its board of directors.

Downtown Lexington Management District (DLMD) is a property-assessed business improvement district created in 2015 to enhance and manage downtown’s physical environment and to foster economic development and Downtown revitalization by:

• Providing enhanced cleaning services to create a foundation for business development.
• Providing enhanced safety resources to address worker, visitor and resident safety.
• Supporting public art initiatives.
• Allocating resources for economic development programs that support property owners/businesses and for marketing Downtown to developers and business prospects.

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