Hey, Batavia businesses, need help funding a project?

Batavia officials are putting the word out: There's money to be had, in grants and loans, for fixing up downtown businesses and starting or expanding businesses throughout town.

"With the difficult economic times ... the revolving loan fund is a necessary tool to attract new businesses to Batavia," Alderman Dave Brown said at this week's city council meeting.

The revolving loan fund has helped only six projects since its creation in 1986, including: Pedals, Pumpers & Rolls in 1992; West Bank Health & Fitness Club in 1992; Reliant Data Processing in 1992; Bistro America in 1995; Batavia Rental in 1996; and Sharratt & Shuman in 2001.

The money is supplied by the state. Borrowers pay interest equivalent to half the prime rate, for up to 25 percent (but not more than $200,000) of a project's cost. Preference is given to non-retail businesses.

The city is also reminding people that more than half of the money in the downtown improvement grant program budgeted for 2009 is still available. The city budgeted $50,000. It is disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis. Property owners can receive 50 percent of the actual costs of a project, up to $25,000.

It came out of a 2007 grant program designed to encourage installation of fire suppression sprinklers.

After meeting with representatives of Batavia MainStreet and some business owners, city officials expanded it to include other interior work, including plumbing, electrical work, alarm systems, energy conservation work, painting and restoration of historical fixtures.

And although the deadline has passed for this year, city officials encourage owners to think ahead for next year, if they are improving the exterior of their buildings, to apply for facade grants. Applications are due Jan. 30.

Dan Stellato, president of Batavia Enterprises, said he was surprised earlier this year to find that his firm was the only applicant for one of the city's grants.

Same goes for community development director Jerry Swanson.

"There just seems to be nobody taking advantage of the grant programs and tax credits that are out there," he said.

Additional information on city grant programs can be found at cityofbatavia.net or by calling the community development department at (630) 454-2700.