WARREN — The Warren Redevelopment and Planning Corp. recently awarded 66 exterior improvement grants to businesses — some with ties to city and county government.

Businesses that received the grants include Enzo’s Restaurant, 2918 Elm Road NE, a business in the family of Warren City Law Director Enzo Cantalamessa and Trumbull County Commissioner Mauro Cantalamessa.

Also receiving a grant was Second Baptist Church — A House of Hope, 1510 Main Ave SW. Warren Councilman Todd Johnson, I-1st Ward, is the lead pastor of the church.

All American Cards and Comics, 161 W. Market St., received a grant of $9,000. Greg Bartholomew, a former 4th Ward councilman, who owns the comics shop.

VETTING PROCESS

WRAP Director Melissa Phillips said the nonprofit provided $482,764 in grant approvals during the second round of awards. Applicants could receive up to $9,000 for exterior improvements of their buildings.

There were 157 applications turned in to WRAP this year. Sixty-six businesses were awarded grants.

Last year, during the first round of grants given as part of the Warren Exterior Improvement Grant allocations, WRAP received 100 applications from Warren businesses and provided 47 grants at a total value of $441,446.16. The highest amount a business could receive was $10,000 in the first round.

There were 53 applications rejected in the first round of applications.

The Warren Exterior Improvement Grant was established last year when Mayor Doug Franklin’s administration, working with city council, provided $1 million to WRAP from an American Rescue Plan Act allocation.

“The administration wanted to establish a program for small business using its ARPA funds,” Phillips said. “Earlier during the pandemic, there was (Paycheck Protection Program) funds used to help keep employees on the payroll. There was not a lot done to provide help for businesses to make physical improvements to the exterior of their businesses.”

“The administration wanted to provide the kind of help that people could immediately see as they approached the business.”

Businesses wanting to be considered for the grants had to submit applications that included what work they intended to be done, cost estimates, as well as before photographs of the proposed projects, according to Phillips.

Once applications were accepted by WRAP, they were forwarded to a committee that reviewed and graded each application.

The five-member committee consisted of Gil Rieger, Jen Economos, John Fowley, Meghan Reed and Paulette Edington. Committee members scored each application using a rubric that looked at community impact, timeliness, visibility of the project, permanent improvement, location, historic preservation and accessibility.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLES

Enzo’s Restaurant, for example, submitted an application on March 15, requesting funds to replace a neon facade sign with an LED sign. The estimated cost of the project was $25,000.

Michelina Cantalamessa, who submitted the grant, provided an invoice for the proposed project that included the placement of a 68-inch Circle Electric sign at a cost of $5,260, four 300-watt LED parking lights at $2,100 and an ENZO sign that would cost $1,800. The sales tax would be $6,198.30 for a total amount of $9,778.30.

Based on the established rubric, the committee members awarded Enzo’s application 93 out of 100 total possible points.

“Most applications that received 90 or better from the committee were almost guaranteed to be awarded their request,” Phillips said.

It was the businesses that scored in the 80s that the committee could have rejected.

“I did not have any influence on the money being awarded,” Enzo Cantalamessa said. “We have not received the grant, but were informed that we were selected to be one of the recipients. We are grateful.”

Johnson said Second Baptist Church’s deacon board applied for the grant as part of the church’s effort to restore its 104-year-old chapel.

Work on the project will include replacement of some of its broken stained-glass windows and the wooden frames that held them; replacement of front and back doors; the addition of new exterior lighting and updating some existing lighting; refurbishment of the church steeple; replacing decaying brick work and downspouts; and replacing the front stairs and its railing system to make the chapel handicapped accessible.

“The estimated cost of this project is projected to be about $35,850,” Johnson said.

“The $9,000 we receive for the project will be of great assistance.”

All American Cards and Comics is receiving $9,000. It is having windows and the front facade of the store done.

“We applied last year and was approved for $10,000,” Bartholomew said. “Somehow there was a miscommunication and we did not receive it. We reapplied and were awarded $9,000 in the second round.”

Bartholomew said the grant will pay for nearly one-third of the estimated $28,000 project.

“I planned to have this work done even if the grant was not available,” Bartholomew said. “However, if the money is available, why not apply to get a portion of it?”