THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JENNIFER BAILEY
ABOVE: The owners of Cedar and Smoke LLC are seeking a grant to renovate this former bus station at 25 N. Franklin St. in downtown Danville into a cigar lounge.
DANVILLE — A local real-estate agent and an attorney are planning to open a new cigar lounge and seeking help from the city in the form of funding from a tax-increment-financing district.
Auston Surprenant and Jared Trigg, principals of Cedar and Smoke LLC, have applied for a grant from the Western Gateway TIF District Redevelopment Incentive Project to renovate a former bus station at 25 N. Franklin St. for their new business.
The grant program allows for reimbursement for improvements to a property. The total to be invested in the Western Gateway TIF District is projected to be $345,000, according to the city resolution.
Cedar and Smoke is requesting a grant for 50 percent reimbursement of TIF-district-eligible renovations to not exceed $50,000, to be awarded after completion of the project.
The Danville City Council’s Public Services Committee recommended approval this week, and the full council will act on the grant application and budget amendment next week.
“It’s going to be basically a high-end smoke lounge and cigar lounge is how they’ve described it,” said Logan Cronk, the city’s community development administrator.
Cronk said he’s hoping Surprenant and Trigg will attend next week’s council meeting where the final vote will take place.
Cronk said the owners’ plans call for the entire building to be gutted and renovated, with about $200,000 to $250,000 to be invested into the space.
Ward 2 Alderman Rick Strebing said the duo have been working on the project for about six months to a year.
Ward 4 Alderwoman Tricia Teague questioned how the business can open with Illinois not allowing indoor smoking.
Cronk said an original location for the business had this issue because it adjoined another structure. He said according to state statute, it is legal to have a cigar shop and lounge at the Franklin Street location.
The grant application states that the project involves painting the exterior of the building; removing and replacing concrete, entrances, curbs, sidewalks, etc., to conform with city code; sealing and striping the parking lot; renovating interior plumbing and HVAC; framing, insulation, ceiling and electrical work; and architectural drawings.
The estimated number of jobs created is listed at 10 or more.
If approved, construction is expected to last from about March to July.
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