Zionsville retailer Lesley Jane has received a $10,000 grant from the Town of Zionsville Community Development Corp.
Owner Lesley Jane owner Lesley Hunt applied for the CDC grant in early July and was awarded the full amount. Hunt said Lesley Jane, a women’s specialty boutique on Main Street, will use the grant primarily to update the business’ website. The update will allow the business to process online orders and gift cards and sync existing software packages. The grant also will cover losses from unsold prom dresses, seasonal stock expenditures and marketing efforts.
“I’d like to express my gratitude to the Town of Zionsville Community Development Corporation and its committee members who reviewed my grant application and approved it,” Hunt stated. “Now I am hopeful. Without this grant, I would not be able to recover the losses incurred from a prom season that was canceled as a result of the current pandemic. Thanks to this grant, I will be able to pivot my business model and focus on the redevelopment of my retail website – which has been my plan – as I continue to navigate through this unprecedented crisis.”
To help local businesses impacted by COVID-19 and ease the burden of unplanned expenses and lost revenue incurred due to the pandemic, Zionsville launched the CDC grant program earlier this summer. The funding option is available to businesses in the 106th Street tax increment finance district, an area bordered by Poplar Street, Elm Street, 96th Street, Michigan Road and Zionsville Road.
“These are unprecedented times and we recognize that local businesses need support,” stated Cara Weber, the corporation’s president. “We’re happy to do our part to help support businesses, which are vital to the economic health and well-being of the community.”
