Lawmakers tour Shenandoah businesses approved for facade grants

Aug. 16—SHENANDOAH — Several businesses in the borough have received grant money to spruce up their storefronts.

It's part of the changing nature of the business district that state Rep. Tim Twardzik, R-123, Butler Twp., referred to as the "wheel of retailing."

The focus, he said, has returned to small businesses, much like in Shenandoah's heyday in the 19th and 20th centuries when downtowns were busy.

"And then the shopping malls came, and then the shopping malls left. And so now, we're coming back to small-town, where we have specialty shops and we have changing demographics," he said. "We have different businesses opening which serve the community."

Twardzik and state Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Twp., joined members of Downtown Shenandoah Inc. on a tour of a few of the businesses that received grants through funding from the Department of Community and Economic Development.

Through the DSI grant program, a total of $87,101.77 has been approved for the following businesses and organizations for the improvement of facades and other storefront projects: Mark's Supply Co., Betty Ann Bugden's Total Image & Hair Replacement Center, Nature's Way Emporium, Shenandoah Historical Society, Williamson Friedberg & Jones, Expressions, St. Stephens Hall, Catizone's Barbershop, Mulligans, Merengue Cakes & Deli, Two West Hair Salon and Oravitz Home for Funerals.

"We've got projects anywhere from fixing a sign to putting an awning on a building to redoing a whole front," said Susan Williams, DSI executive director.

As a condition of the grant program, the money is not awarded to the businesses until after the project is completed.

The businesses applied for the program last year, with applications approved in August 2021. Each business has three years — until August 2024 — to work on its project.

Argall said the grants represent a lot of "competitive dollars," but is confident they will assist in improving the downtown.

"There are a lot of communities that have successfully brought back some life into the downtown," he said. "And we understand it's never going to be 1945 again, but I'm excited to see the progress in the good representative's (Twardzik's) hometown."

Twardzik said it "takes a while" for such work to happen, "but it's nice to see the improvements. And once you get somebody to fix up a little bit, it kind of inspires a neighbor to keep up."

Also on hand for the excursion were DSI President Karen Kenderdine and board members Bradley Oravitz, Ann Taylor and Mary Ellen Matunis.

The first business the group toured was Catizone's Barbershop at 132 N. Main St. The longstanding barber is building a new shingled awning to complement its facade.

Argall and Twardzik chatted with the barber shop's owner, John Catizone, and admired the assortment of Shenandoah memorabilia lined on the walls and in window displays.

Another hallmark business, Nature's Way Emporium, has a redone, repainted facade and will feature a new overhang. The store's owner, Patty Beltz, took Twardzik through a tour of the longtime metaphysical store and gave him a glimpse of the back room, where Beltz keeps a chromotherapy healing bed and conducts tarot readings.

The group also made a stop at Oravitz Home for Funerals, whose supervisor is DSI's Oravitz. The funeral home has invested in a new backlit sign, among other improvements.

"We came up with a new design for all of our marketing, with the little scroll here with the purple and black," Oravitz said.

The walking tour also included stops at Mark's Supply Co., Mulligans, Expressions and the Lyric Restaurant.

DSI's grant is part of the Keystone Communities program, which helps community revitalization organizations and their partners improve their business districts. A few of the Shenandoah businesses have completed their projects, while others have yet to start theirs, Williams said.

Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085