By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Mayor Tim Currier’s Core of the Community program is expected to launch in the fall and will make grants available to downtown businesses looking to improve their spaces and make rent payments.

The program is getting a $75,000 boost from the St. Lawrence River Valley Redevelopment Agency.

“We expect sometime late this this fall, we will enact this program,” Mayor Currier said July 27. “We know the BDC is going to administer this. They’re working on the parameters of the application process and specifics.”

Currier said the program will have $30,000 to subsidize a business’s rent, $27,500 to help finance interior building projects, $7,500 for signage improvements and $60,000 for façade improvements. The signage packages will be given out up to $1,500 at a time in matching funds. The façade money will be doled out up to $15,000 per business, according to the mayor.

The village Board of Trustees at their July 19 meeting released a preliminary draft of a downtown building standards document, which restricts downtown buildings’ colors, dimensions, signage and other aspects of their appearance with the aim of making things more uniform. Currier said he hopes the board will pass a bill in the near future, and businesses will have to adhere to it to be eligible for the improvements grants.

“We looked at the design standards that are going to be part of this, but we are looking to adopt a local ordnance as well,” the mayor said.

The RVRDA, when announcing the Core of the Community funding, also said they will give $66,250 to the Business Development Corporation of Massena for the continuation of the Massena Industrial Park Rail Access project. The loan will assist in expanding the rail spur trans load pad and paving a portion of the pad with heavy-duty concrete. Companies have expressed interest in utilizing the spur to its fullest if equipped with a stable, concrete platform.

St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce was awarded a $34,390 grant to launch an four-season trail mapping website, mobile app and marketing materials to promote the Adirondack/Seaway Trails. The marketing tools will provide descriptive information on trailheads, show boat launches and other facilities, and way-finding instruction so that residents and visitors can access, enjoy and respect the environment by remaining on the established trails.

Town of Louisville will receive a $49,000 grant to replace 30 to 35 year old playground equipment at the Community Center, which hosts many events throughout the year, attended by many local families and visitors.

Waddington was awarded a $77,000 grant to improve and enable adaptive reuse of the old town hall, whereby the community will ensure public access and maximize useful space in this historic downtown structure.

The largest chunk, $93,000, went to Clarkson University.