The Streator City Council has approved a $15,000 facade grant to help Bowl Mor, a bowling alley and restaurant on North Bloomington Street, upgrade its exterior.

The grant will cover more than half of the $26,500 project, which includes replacing siding on the east and south sides of the building and painting the exterior.

Streator City Engineer Jeremy Palm said the building will have its facade painted as part of the project, with additional improvements to the doorway and signage.

Palm said that the building’s brick exterior, featuring gray and red tones, has never been painted before, so the work goes beyond routine maintenance.

Palm also noted that the project complements the building’s outdoor seating area, which includes umbrellas and canopies, that the owners plan to expand.

Because the property is technically outside Streator’s downtown district, it isn’t required to meet the historic standards that apply to other businesses in the program.

Bowl Mor recently changed ownership, and with the council’s approval, it allowed the new owners to move forward with the project.

The owners did not attend the past two meetings. The project timeline is unknown.