LISBON — Lisbon Falls businesses impacted by summer construction on Main Street can now apply for a grant to help supplement lost revenue.
Last week, the Town Council allocated up to $150,000 from the town’s revolving loan fund for the program. Businesses will need to submit an application with proof that revenue was lost over the summer due to less traffic and their expense projections from January to May.
The applications will be reviewed in January by the town loan committee, which will recommend grant recipients and amounts to the Town Council. Businesses may receive up to $25,000 under the program.
Community and Economic Development Director Ross Cunningham said about 18 businesses between the Route 196 and School Street intersections qualify. Owners of a couple of those businesses, he said, have expressed concerns that they may not make it through the winter without support.
“We’re not pretending that this is going to solve all their problems, but we are hoping that this will at least give them some of the overhead cost that allows them to continue through the spring and make it to the summer months,” he said, noting that some businesses have lost well over $25,000 in revenue this summer.
Lisbon police Chief Ryan McGee cuts a ribbon Saturday afternoon to mark the start of the town’s Very Merry Main Street celebration. He is surrounded by town officials and business owners who are celebrating the recent reopening of Main Street after being closed for about a year. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal file
Councilor Fern Larochelle said the town has worked hard to attract and retain businesses in Lisbon over the years, with progress. But the pandemic, then the construction this year, meant that businesses on Main Street in Lisbon Falls haven’t had a normal summer season for three years.
“Without doing this, I feel like we could go backwards,” he said, acknowledging that some may be critical of the program for its narrow scope.
Construction on Main Street began in the spring, interrupting both vehicle and foot traffic in downtown Lisbon Falls. Tyson LaVerdiere, owner of Flux Restaurant and Bar, said the difference was like night and day.
“If people aren’t driving by and seeing (Flux), it does hurt sales,” he said. “I wasn’t aware how much it would hurt sales.”
When the first phase of construction on lower Main Street was completed and the road was reopened last month, LaVerdiere saw a noticeable uptick in business. Regular customers, some who had been absent during the summer, have begun to return, he said.
LaVerdiere said he didn’t expect the town to provide any financial assistance to the Main Street businesses. He plans to apply for the program and use any of the money he receives to help catch up on bills which have been set aside over the summer for more immediate needs, like payroll and cost of goods.
The Main Street construction, he said, “was definitely a job that had to be done. But it was kind of done at our expense.”
Businesses along Main Street in Lisbon Falls struggled while construction limited parking and foot traffic last summer. Standing on the street in August are, from left, Flux sous chef Jeb Charette, Flux owner Jason LaVerdiere, Eastcraeft owner Maggie Norzow and Olive Pit Brewing owner Christy Cain. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal file
Summer events such as the Maine Blues Festival and the Moxie Festival were lifelines for the Main Street businesses, drawing thousands of people to the downtown. But it hasn’t been enough to offset the loss in sales caused by construction.
These events are part of the town’s long-term plan to bring more people — and businesses — to Lisbon.
Town officials said they hope to build on the one-time grant program to create either a forgivable loan or grant program using the revolving loan fund to attract more businesses to Lisbon.
LaVerdiere said such a program would have been helpful when he and his brother, Jason LaVerdiere, opened their restaurant five years ago. The start-up costs for a local business, especially a restaurant, can be high and difficult to obtain, he said.
“Having grant opportunities can make the difference, because not everyone is able to save up, you know, 20, 30, 40, 50 grand,” LaVerdiere said, later adding, “We’re all going to win by having more businesses.”
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