By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
jnewell@mihomepaper.com
LAKE ORION — The Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority awarded three area businesses with façade grants for their reinvestment in the community during ceremonies on March 18.
Executive Director Matt Gibb and Assistant Director Janet Bloom visited Irish Tavern, the Orion Art Center and the legal firm Spresser Ogden PLLC to present the owners, or directors, with checks to assist with their costs.
“The DDA, through its façade grant program, is to help people that want to reinvest into historic improvements and the façade improvements of their businesses and buildings within downtown Lake Orion,” Gibb said.
The DDA’s Façade Improvement Grant program has been in place for several years, with businesses such as 20 Front Street and the owner of the Anita’s Kitchen building receiving grants for efforts in preserving and refurbishing buildings in the DDA district.
Orion Art Center
Gibb and Bloom presented a $2,000 check to Orion Art Center Director Holly Nicosia to assist with restoring “the front and façade of this beautiful old home” of the Orion Art Center building on Anderson Street, Gibb said, adding the building used to be the home where the Lake Orion United Methodist Church pastoral staff used to live.
“We are very grateful today to come and honor and recognize the Orion Art Center as a façade grant recipient because (they) have committed to investing in our beautiful downtown and in our DDA district,” Gibb said.

Irish Tavern
Gibb and Bloom presented Irish Tavern co-owner Burge Young and general manager Christian Dorsch with a $2,000 check for improvements at the restaurant at 51 N. Broadway St.

“Irish Tavern transformed itself from Fork ‘n Pint, and everything that you see (on the building façade) from signage, to the paint colors to the schemes to this beautiful Irish Tavern,” Gibb said.
Irish Tavern also improved the wall on the south face of the building and repainted it with an Irish theme. The south wall of Irish Tavern abutted a 127-year-old home that was transformed into a boarding house. That home caught fire on Jan. 14, 2021 and had to be demolished.
“Important to the DDA is that all of that blighted ugliness from where the house burned down next door has graciously been improved and we wanted to support that,” Gibb said. “Irish Tavern has invested more than $60,000 in the rebranding of this beautiful facility.”

Spresser Ogden PLLC
The DDA also presented Bill Ogden of the legal firm Spresser Ogden PLLC with a $10,000 check for improvements made at the Spresser Ogden PLLC office, 106 W. Shadbolt St.
“We are super excited about this particular grant,” Gibb said. “This is a shining example of what the DDA is about, what Spresser Ogden is about and what this program is about…to encourage this type of investment.”
The Spresser Ogden building is more 160 years old
Ogden said they redid most of the exterior of the home, the driveway “and a bunch of other improvements interior-wise” to refurbish the home after it was purchased.

“We’re happy to be a part of the community and contribute, so thanks to the DDA,” Ogden said.
A portion of the building also houses the Orion Area Chamber of Commerce offices.
The DDA restructured the grant program so that it could give mini-grants, in addition to larger grants, so that more businesses get assistance with their rehabilitation and restoration efforts.
“On Janet’s suggestion, we broke down the program to give some smaller awards for people who want to do cosmetic improvements that really help the walkability and streetscape of what we’re doing. It gives them the opportunity to get a couple of thousands of dollars to help them out,” Gibb said.
The DDA’s fiscal year is from July to June, so the DDA will re-up its Façade Grant Program budget and work to support other businesses that reinvest in their facilities later this year.
“It’s a little bit on a rolling basis, so we’ll be out beating the streets a little bit in the next couple of months saying there’s another round of funding coming, and you should get your applications in,” Gibb said.
Anyone interested can contact Gibb and Bloom, fill out an application, provide drawings as far as what they would like to accomplish and quotes for the project, Bloom said.
“They submit that to the DDA Design Committee and the committee will make a recommendation to the DDA Board of Directors,” Bloom said.
Contact the Lake Orion DDA office, 118 N. Broadway St., at 248-693-9742 for information on business façade grants. Email Matt Gibb at gibb@downtownlakeorion.org or Janet Bloom at bloom@downtownlakeorion.org.