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Well-maintained, original windows last much longer than replacements & offer better energy efficiency. Experience the Heart of Kendallville is hosting a workshop to share the basics of vintage window operation and restoration to help encourage local property owners to preserve and protect the historic integrity of their structures. Window Restoration 101 Tuesday, June 14, 2022 6:00 - 8:00 PM Community Learning Center - Kendallville This workshop will be presented by Indiana Landmarks, an organization focused on saving the places that matter to Hoosiers—houses, barns, bridges, churches, schools, downtown districts, and vintage neighborhoods. By restoring and repurposing historic buildings, Indiana Landmarks reconnects people to heritage and revitalizes communities. Who should attend? Owners of historic properties, people interested in historic preservation and restoration, and the general public are invited to attend this free workshop. Registration is required, but free. Why should you attend? When you learn the different parts of a vintage window and how they operate, you can repair them to last for decades. It’s a simple, step-by-step process to replace broken sash cords, remove and replace broken glass and deteriorated window putty, and use epoxy for deteriorated wood repair. Beyond the obvious function of letting in sunlight and ventilation, windows are an important architectural element that give a property its distinctive character. In addition to maintaining the original style, preserving vintage windows retains the old growth lumber used to construct them — wood that is tight grained and longer lasting than new wood you can buy today.

Experience the Heart of Kendallville is seeking the participation of all downtown Kendallville building owners in a brief survey. The information requested will help create an up-to-date inventory of assets to inform strategies related to downtown development opportunities and investments. Please take a moment to help us learn more about our inventory of downtown buildings. Respond to the survey by February 4. Direct any questions to Kristen Johnson, EHK Main Street manager. Thank you!

In yet another effort to help spur new business growth and the transformation of downtown Kendallville, the city's Redevelopment Commission announced the creation of the Merchant Marketing Assistance Program. Businesses in the downtown Main Street TIF District are eligible to apply for up to 75% in matching funds, up to a maximum of $500, to promote through print media, radio, digital media, or a combination of media promotions. A limitation of one grant per business per calendar year applies. An application form is available on the City of Kendallville website, Redevelopment Commission page.

The January 3, 2022, grant application deadline for downtown property owners to capitalize on funding of up to 85% of the costs of building facade improvements is less than one week away! This historic opportunity for Kendallville, named a PreservINg Main Street Pilot Community, to use $2 million awarded to transform downtown properties has already attracted nearly a dozen applicants. The program has also helped spur interest in new investments in downtown properties in Kendallville. One long-vacant building was recently purchased, and a grant application submitted to transform its facade. The City of Kendallville has reached out to property owners of buildings with blatant code violations in hopes they will apply for funding or be motivated to instead sell properties in need of investment to address repairs. Applications that have already been received represent less than 20% of downtown structures. Property owners whose projects are approved for funding, pending consultation and final reviews with professional engineers and architects, stand to receive 85% of project costs through the grant program. This means they must only commit to funding 15% of the costs of work, significantly less than the city's traditional 50/50 matching facade grant program. Some projects may be eligible for funding under both programs and Experience the Heart of Kendallville (EHK) recently learned that there is interest by local funders to assist property owners who may need "gap funding" as well in order to participate. EHK encourages anyone interested to apply before the deadline, even if some details are not yet known, so as not to miss out on the opportunity to explore fully all possible resources. Steps that will come after the January 3 deadline include an initial review of applications on January 6, followed by a review of projects with professional architects and engineers on January 12. These and other related Main Street meetings and events are posted on EHK's public web calendar and may be found by following the "Calendar" link on the EHK website.

Experience the Heart of Kendallville (EHK) has selected an architectural and engineering firm for the $2 million PreservINg Main Street grant project. A sub-committee appointed by EHK, with representation from the City of Kendallville, selected MartinRiley architects and engineers for the job. As a Pilot Community in the PreservINg Main Street initiative, Kendallville was required to procure an architect as a condition of funding. Multiple proposals were reviewed and MartinRiley rose to the top based on an impressive track record, in-house expertise (including the ability to utilize laser-scanning technologies), and a Kendallville-based project manager on staff. MartinRiley was founded in 1986 and has offices in Fort Wayne and Oshkosh, WI. Among the firm's past projects of note are an $8.3 million reuse project that transformed a historic former YMCA building in Evansville into a 62-unit apartment building. Similar projects in Union City, Huntington, and Delphi are also noted in the company's portfolio. Notable, stand-alone building projects staff architects have been involved in include those at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, Rialto Theater, Coca Cola Bottling Works, Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site, Arts United, and Waterloo Train Station. Among the services MartinRiley will provide for the PreservINg Main Street Pilot project are: Finalize a Historic Preservation Plan Provide technical and structural analysis of buildings in the target district Provide one-on-one consultations with property owners granted PreservINg Main Street funding Assist EHK in meeting rules and regulations Obtain necessary permits Assist in bid processes Develop design plans for projects funded Oversee construction work The firm will begin their work with EHK and Kendallville in January.

Following recent announcements of a downtown property changing hands and eyed for significant restoration work, and the hiring of a full-time Main Street manager, local newspaper editor Steve Garbacz penned an opinion piece about the transformation of downtown Kendallville. The column appeared in the December 21, 2021 edition of the News Sun, a KPC Media publication.

It has been announced that Kristen Johnson accepted the role of Main Street manager for Experience the Heart of Kendallville (EHK). She will begin her new role on January 10, 2023. Johnson has served as Executive Director of the Kendallville Area Chamber of Commerce since June 2019. She has also served as president of the Board for EHK for the past two years and has been heavily involved in managing the day-to-day activities for EHK while in her role at the Chamber. EHK has been growing and evolving over the past two years and the board felt it was time to hire a full-time manager to oversee the many projects that are ongoing, according to a press release. “I have truly enjoyed my time at the Chamber and the many relationships I have developed with businesses and community members. I am also extremely excited to be moving into this new role with the city and look forward to the work ahead," said Johnson about the announcement. EHK is an accredited Indiana Main Street organization. The group was recently awarded a $2M grant from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs for preservation work within the downtown over the next two years. One requirement of the grant is that the organization become nationally accredited. One of the criteria for national accreditation is having a full-time Main Street manager on staff. Both the City of Kendallville and the Kendallville Redevelopment Commission provided funds to support the new position. In addition, as part of the $2M PreservINg Main Street grant, EHK is required to raise $200,000 (a 10% grant match) over the next two years, half of which will be placed in the organization’s general fund for capacity building. The other half will be held in a non-permanent fund at the Community Foundation of Noble County. Tara Streb, an EHK board member, led a committee through the hiring process to fill the position. "Kristen brings years of experience working with the downtown and has been an integral part of the growth of our Main Street organization, Experience the Heart of Kendallville. Her knowledge of downtown economic development, historic preservation and promotion, along with the relationships she's built within the community are what I believe makes Kristen the perfect candidate for this position," Streb explained. "We are excited to have her in this key role as Kendallville's Main Street Manager," Mayor SuzAnne Handshoe added, "How excited we are to welcome the new Director. I know she has a passion for our Main Street and will serve us all well! I am anxious to see progression under her leadership!”

The Strand Theatre on Main Street will feature a free showing of Sing 2, an animated feature with a can-do koala, Buster Moon, and his all-star cast of animal performers! FREE SHOWING: Thursday, Dec. 23 2:00 PM Come together to watch the animals as they prepare to launch a dazzling stage extravaganza in the glittering entertainment capital of the world. There's just one hitch, though, Buster Moon has to find and persuade the world's most reclusive rock star to join them. What begins as Buster's dream of big-time success soon becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart! Enjoy the holidays in downtown Kendallville this Christmas!

Kendallville Common Council has approved the creation of its Historic Preservation Commission, marking an important milestone in the city's efforts to support downtown revitalization and the restoration and preservation of historically significant structures. Five community members will serve on the commission: Keith Ballard, contractor, former RDC member, and building owner Stephane Langelier, building owner and Kendallville Car Show organizer Terry Householder, retired KPC Media publisher/president, historian Jerry Spaw, former RDC member and member of Kendallville Restorations Inc. Brad Graden, Community Foundation of Noble County director, former RDC member, former banker The commission will be responsible for vetting projects that propose to conspicuously change the exterior appearance of a building. In order to obtain a building permit from the city for such projects (when located in designated historic districts), building owners will need to receive a "certificate of appropriateness" from the commission. Through the PreservINg Main Street project and its supporting partners, commission members will be trained extensively in order to help building owners explore best practices and options that will protect the historic integrity of buildings while being sensitive to costs.

A Christmas Tree Jubilee, an auction of beautifully decorated Christmas trees and wreaths, will take place on Thursday, December 9 at Hosler Realty on Main Street. Several local individuals and organizations sponsored and decorated trees and wreaths that have been on display at Hosler Realty this month. This Thursday, doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and the auction begins at 7:00 p.m. with a chance to take home your favorite pieces. Proceeds benefit Experience the Heart of Kendallville, the city's Main Street™ Afilliate organization, currently working to distribute $2 million to restore and preserve the historic integrity of commercial properties in the Downtown Historic District.

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE) Kendallville, IN - The application deadline for downtown Kendallville property owners to seek to leverage the $2 million PreservINg Main Street grant, awarded to the City of Kendallville to preserve historic downtown commercial properties, has been extended to January 3, 2022. Property owners wishing to apply for a chunk of funding to make upgrades, restore, and preserve building facades have been given an extra three weeks, past the original December 10 deadline, to apply. During a recent meeting of the project’s steering committee, it was recognized that some property owners may be hesitating to apply for funding, lacking confidence they have the time to lay out their vision or that what they can afford to do will meet the criteria to be funded. In order to help encourage all interested parties to apply, the committee extended the deadline and came up with guidelines on which applications will be reviewed and projects prioritized. The key considerations the committee will have as they review applications for funding assistance are: • The applicant's previous participation in Heart of Kendallville promotions, activities and events. • The danger of the building being demolished without intervention. • The building is currently vacant (or not). • The proposal addresses exterior code violations (or not). • The applicant has matching funds in hand (or they are committed). • The proposed project’s visible impact in the project area. • How the project will assist in increasing visitors/customers to the downtown area. • If the project will impact efforts to add housing. • If the subject building is an anchor business or building in the downtown corridor. • If the project might encourage a "ripple" affect to spur more rehabilitation work. • If the project budget is realistic and based on estimates or bids. Kendallville’s project steering committee encourages anyone who owns a qualifying property to submit an application to express their interest in making improvements to the exterior of their property, regardless of their perceived likelihood of being granted funding assistance. By applying, the committee and Experience the Heart of Kendallville (EHK) (which is about to hire a full-time Main Street Manager) will be better informed about opportunities for revitalization and what property owners envision and need to succeed. Such information will help (EHK) form strategies for the future, even beyond the $2 million grant program. The short application, and more information, is available at kendallvillemainstreet.com. Stakeholders are encouraged to sign up on the website to receive blog updates, which are posted routinely. To subscribe, click on “News” on the website menu then choose the “Log in / Sign up” button at the top of the blog posts to subscribe.

Updates aired on "Home Town Takeover: Where Are They Now" with Ben & Erin Napier Although Watumpka, Alabama was chosen for a Home Town Takeover, thousands of communities - including Kendallville - submitted video entries to the community makeover contest in early 2020. Since then, producers at HGTV have reached out a few times to Kristen Johnson, director of the Kendallville Chamber of Commerce and president of Experience the Heart of Kendallville. Kristen, with help from local stakeholders, provided updates just after submitting the application for a PreservINg Main Street grant, which the city ultimately did win! As a result of providing those updates, Kendallville was featured during an HGTV Thanksgiving Special, "Home Town Takeover: Where Are They Now". The episode aired twice over the holiday weekend. (The full episode, a precursor to a new series called "Home Town Kickstart" that will feature six more community transformations, can be streamed by Discovery+ subscribers.) Kendallville was again passed over for direct assistance from the Napiers, however was pretty prominently featured during the special. HGTV granted permission to share these clips from the show. Enjoy and join EHK in celebrating our own home town for the inspiration they create!