Main Street Toccoa Receives More Grant Funding
MJ Kneiser
The City of Toccoa’s Main Street program is one of dozens of groups across the state to recently receive grant funding from the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Georgia Council for the Arts.
On Monday, the Council announced they had awarded more than a million dollars in grant funding to 100 organizations throughout the state.
Main Street Manager Christian Hamilton tells WNEG News Main Street Toccoa was one of 53 of those groups to receive a Partner Grant, which he says is designed to help pay for operating support.
“This is a partner grant from the Georgia Council for the Arts,” said Hamilton. “They release grants every year and switch off between the Vibrant Community Grant and the Partner Grant. The Partner Grant is worth more money. We apply every year and we received the Partner Grant this year for $7,000. It’s a matching grant, so we have to match it 50/50.”
According to Hamilton, the grant money will be used to develop a new program at the Ritz Theatre.
“The purpose of this grant is to increase programming at the Historic Ritz Theatre,” said Hamilton. “We will be implementing a series called ‘Night at the Ritz’ and it’s going to have six acts over six months. We haven’t booked the acts yet because we’re still doing research to be sure we get quality entertainment. We’re hoping to have an affordable concert series, programming series, maybe we’ll have some plays. It will really bring people downtown, increase economic development downtown and hopefully keep a regular schedule of programming at the Ritz Theatre.”
Hamilton said they hope to begin the “Night at the Ritz” series in September and have it run through February.
This is one of three grants Main Street Toccoa has received over the past two months.
Earlier this month, Main Street Toccoa received a Launchpad Grant from the South Arts organization in Atlanta.
And in June, they were also awarded a $50,000 Rural Business Development Grant by the USDA for infrastructure upgrades at the Historic Ritz Theatre.
Funds awarded by Georgia Council for the Arts include appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.