Huntley approves facade grants for downtown

Sal’s Pizza Place and Ritual Facial Bar and Boutique in downtown Huntley are set to get new awnings.

The Huntley Village Board on Thursday approved $20,000 as part of its facade grant program for the work, which includes repairs to the Ritual exterior, according to village documents.

Matthew Bozzo of DMB Properties asked for $20,000 for the projects, according to village documents. The total cost of the work is an estimate $40,350.

The village caps reimbursement at 50% of the project or $10,000. Director of Development Services Charlie Nordman said the two building frontages in this case allowed for the $20,000 maximum.

Village officials said Bozzo requested a facade grant about a decade ago. Huntley caps grants to $20,000 per property every five years, and Nordman clarified Thursday that enough time had passed for Bozzo’s request to qualify again.

Huntley budgeted $50,000 this year for the facade grants, and this was the first request for such a grant this year. There’s less than five months left in the fiscal year.

Bozzo said he was trying to keep the building looking good, and Village Board members said they were supportive of his efforts.

“Personally, I appreciate your willingness to keep up with everything and, you know, make it look nice as we do in the village,” Village President Tim Hoeft said. “The program’s set up to do exactly what you’re doing, so I’m glad you’re taking advantage of it and being proactive.”

Trustee JR Westberg said he also appreciated the proactivity.

“The black awnings look really good,” Westberg said, adding most things downtown are black.

Trustee Vito Benigno said, “This is a perfect example of how small improvements can have a large impact on the overall aesthetics of the downtown area.”