DDA Approves Facade Grant

Former Gold's Gym Photo 2016The Toccoa Downtown Development Authority approves a facade grant for a downtown building, but that grant is not as much as the developer wanted.

Last month, the Toccoa DDA unanimously approved a total of $10,000 in facade grants for work on the exterior of the former Gold’s Gym building owned by Jimmy Harris.

That is only a quarter of the total facade grant amount Harris was seeking in his application.

Harris said he feels his project should receive more because it falls under the qualifications for a major project, similar to the Albemarle hotel, which received $45,000.

The estimated cost of Harris’ proposed project is about $100,000 for work on the exterior of the building facing both Doyle and Sage streets.

Harris said he feels the proposed work on both facades qualify as major projects.

“Each project is more than $20,000 and the definition in here is over $20,000,” said Harris. “Each side is more than $50,000. It is more than that. There is no way it is a minor project. There are no minor projects going on here.”

However, DDA members said they have discretion as to whether something qualifies as a major or a minor project.

Toccoa DDA member Clay Fisher said that Harris’ project does not compare to the Albemarle in terms of cost.

“I do not think a 40 percent investment by the city to a project makes it a major project,” said Fisher. “When you look at the $45,000 we gave to the Albemarle hotel, that is hundreds of thousands of dollars for the outside. It is nowhere near a 40 percent investment by the DDA. I think what the DDA is doing is very fair.”

Harris said he would accept the $10,000 that was approved, but was planning to take his case for additional funding to the city commission.