DDRA presents first sign grant award to Darlington ReStore
Mark Haenchen, Executive Director of Darlington County Habitat for Humanity, Ben Schmeltz Manager of the Darlington ReStore, Lisa Chalian-Rock, Executive Director of Darlington Downtown Revitalization Association, and Jack Wilson, Manager of the Hartsville ReStore.
By Jana E. Pye, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
The Darlington Downtown Revitalization Association presented its first sign grant award to Darlington County Habitat for Humanity Restore on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at the shop on 1106 S. Main St. The funds helped install a new and permanent sign to the storefront.
“We are very happy we moved to Darlington and have a presence over here,” said Mark Haenchen, Executive Director of Habit. “It speaks well that the store has been successful and being a part of the local economy.”
The $500 helped pay half the price of the new sign, created by local sign company Sign Edge of Darlington.
The DDRA Improvement Incentive Program provides a 50-50 grant to City businesses to be used for façade improvements, awnings, and signage. The grant will reimburse approved applicants up to $1,000 for these improvements. For an application, businesses can download the application from the City website www.darlingtonsconline.com/links/improvement_incentive.php, call Executive Director Lisa Rock at 843-398-4000 x 103, or email darlingtonplanner@gmail.com.
“We still have $4500 to give away,” said Rock. “We have only one other pending applicant.”
As noted by Rock, for more than 30 years, the DDRA has been working to promote local stores, build commerce, and beautify the City of Darlington. Some of the projects the DDRA has been involved with include the Darlington Veterans Memorial, Scare on the Square, Market on Darlington Square, the #ShopDarlington promotion, beautification projects, streetscape improvements, and the citywide Build Up Darlington program.
The two ReStores help raise funds for the Darlington County Habitat for Humanity to build homes in the community to help renters become homeowners.
“Every house we build puts between $360,000 to $370,000 back into the local economy by purchasing goods in the local economy.” said Haenchen.
“Come on in and keep shopping,” said Ben Schmeltz.