A second business has now completed a renovation in Schererville through its facade program.
The Redevelopment Commission and Town Council at their year-end meetings Wednesday approved the last $850 for Dave “Spike” Jaroszewski’s facade revamp of Spike’s Lakeside Inn 2. The approval brought the total the town gave Jaroszewski to the full $15,000 allowed by the program.
Schererville Town Manager Bob Volkmann said Jaroszewski ended up spending a little more than $32,000 on his new facade because he wanted to extend it to the exposed side of the building.
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“The program is a 50-50 match up for the facade only. There is no interior work,” he said.
The facade improvement program allows businesses within the downtown district to submit a proposal to the town explaining the improvements that need to be made and three bids from contractors. The town will then review the plan, price and contractors, and will pay half up to $15,000 if the plan is approved.
A second level of the program would pay a downtown business up to $50,000 for its facade work, but the business would have to invest at least $200,000 to be eligible, Volkmann said. Larry Titak, of Titak Photography, used that part of the program to redo the facade on his building across the street from Town Hall.
The program only covers improvements to easements and the town has to agree with the business owner that it will help improve the look of the downtown area. Because most of the retail corridors in Schererville now sit on U.S. 30 or U.S. 41, Volkmann said he hopes this new incentive for improving the downtown area will bring new businesses, too.
Town Council President Mike Troxell praised Jaroszewski’s finished product, saying Lakeside Inn 2 “looks nice.”
Jaroszewski didn’t return a call for comment by press time.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.