TR DDA to apply for vibrancy grant for Historical Society project

By Robert Tomlinson
News Director

THREE RIVERS — The Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority will be seeking funding from the state for a proposed project headed by the St. Joseph County Historical Society.
At its meeting Thursday, March 6, the DDA unanimously approved a measure to apply for a Vibrancy Grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to support an interactive downtown history project championed by the Historical Society.
If the DDA gets selected to receive the grant, it would be for $15,000, with the DDA providing a required 15 percent match of $2,250, with the Historical Society pledging $1,000 toward the matching funds. Applications for the funding are due by April 25, with awardees to be decided on or around the week of May 19.
The project in question, as previously reported in October by the Commercial-News, is what Historical Society Director Holly Stephenson called an “interactive education project” in downtown Three Rivers. It would include the creation of a downtown walking tour of marked historical buildings to go along with a set of storyboards and pamphlets, the development of a “comprehensive visual storytelling product” online, and a database of existing building stock and past and future changes of the buildings in downtown, as a way to preserve history in the city.
Stephenson said at the DDA’s October 2024 meeting the project would be done as a partnership between the Historical Society and Carrie Malas, a St. Joseph County native and a graduate student in Eastern Michigan University’s Preservation Studies program.
During discussion at Thursday’s board meeting, DDA Board Secretary Jason Ballew said given interactions they’ve had with the MEDC in recent months about the proposed project, it might have a good chance to get selected for a grant.
“It was very well-received in a meeting that Angie went to with MEDC,” Ballew said. “They were all over that, so we have a pretty good chance of getting it.”
Ballew added that going for a $15,000 grant could present the opportunity for more things to be done outside the project if there is leftover funds.
“We could do a lot with that money, even add in additional signage, wayfinding signage, which Angie has talked about doing a bigger sign off 131,” Ballew said. “It’s all about driving people to downtown to be here to see what we have to offer.”
City Manager Joe Bippus asked who would be responsible for doing the work, with Ballew saying the project is “very fleshed out,” and that the DDA’s Design Committee would work with the Historical Society setting things up.
Newly-minted DDA Board Chair Charlie Wolgamood said the Historical Society is a “solid” organization, and would be a good recipient to get grant funding for.
“They’re very nice, they do a great job down there,” Wolgamood said.
In other business…

• The board selected Wolgamood to be the new chairperson of the DDA board, with Waneta Truckey to serve as vice chair, Ballew to serve as secretary, and Ashley Sauer to serve as treasurer.
• City Manager Joe Bippus gave an update on the amphitheater project, noting that Brussee-Brady submitted a bid for the project that was “slightly under” the projected cost of the project, and will be awarded soon. Board member Mary O’Connor cautioned the board a bit about Brussee-Brady, given the numerous change orders that occurred when they handled the Three Rivers Public Library renovation work at their new building, saying the city would need to “look over” their proposals “carefully.”
• The board reviewed the DDA’s proposed budget and workplans for Fiscal Year 2026. The requested proposed budget calls for $195,635 in estimated revenue with $192,275 in expenses for a net revenue over expenditures of $3,360. The budget will be further reviewed over the next couple of meetings before final approval.
• The board approved a $455.32 façade grant reimbursement for Ron Neale Auto Sales for painting work completed last summer. There was some worry by some board members that they would set a “precedent” by approving it, since it was completed in the previous fiscal year, but the Economic Vitality Committee, according to Executive Director Angie Metty, determined that because of Neale not knowing about the program until the last few weeks, and because the grant program was “not very well published,” according to a report from the committee to the board, the reimbursement was recommended to be approved.
  Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.