ROCHELLE — On Wednesday, Oct. 23, the City of Rochelle presented a facade grant check for $5,000 to ALM Fine Cabinetry at 314 N. 6th St. in Rochelle. 

The facade grant program covers half the cost of any improvements made to business fronts in town with a limit of $5,000. The improvements included the repair of an exterior wall of the building. The wall previously said “Shop Rochelle” and faced traffic on the overpass. Stabilization beams were replaced and the wall was repaired and stucco was installed. The check was accepted by ALM Fine Cabinetry Owners Michael and Shawneen Arreguin and adjoining property owner Eric Blaszczak.

“The wall was bowing and leaning and about ready to fall,” Shawneen Arreguin said. “It had been like that since we bought the building years ago. And it's a focal point when people go over the overpass. We wanted it to look nicer. It needed to be updated really badly.”

The city’s facade grant program has been in place in recent years in the downtown area and the rest of Rochelle. City Community Development Director Michelle Pease said Wednesday’s check presentation exemplifies another local business investing in its space and allowing the city to be a partner in the upgrades. 

The repaired and refurbished wall at ALM Fine Cabinetry is now a blank canvas, and is planned for a future city-funded mural, Pease said. 

Michael Arreguin said he’s looking forward to the mural and thanked the city for providing access to the grant. 

“The idea of a mural is what started the improvements,” Michael Arreguin said. “We decided to fix it so we could do that. Since the city split the cost with us, we decided to go forward with the work. Public-private partnerships are valuable. If I had to pay the whole cost, I wouldn't have done it. I've been here 24 years. The facade grant program for me meant the difference between doing this project and not doing it.”

Pease and Mayor John Bearrows thanked the city council and City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh for their support of the facade grant program, which they say shows the value the city places on its local businesses. 

City Community Development Specialist Michelle Knight said she believes the program has helped the downtown in recent years. 

“When I go to other little towns and drive through their downtowns, it's not always that attractive,” Knight said. “And I think ours looks amazing now and this program has definitely helped that.”