By Nancy Huddleston, Editor

The bright gold façade and teal-colored roof shingles will be coming down at El Loro this year, thanks in part to a city grant program that entices downtown businesses to improve their buildings.

El Loro submitted three grant applications, but only two were approved by the Savage Economic Development Commission (EDC) during its April meeting. The popular downtown Mexican restaurant on Highway 13 will be receiving $15,000 for façade rehabilitation and $2,500 for a new trash enclosure, but did not qualify for $5,000 for landscape screening.

The city started the grant program this year as a way “to encourage property owners to preserve downtown Savage as a profitable business district and attractive community destination for years to come,” according to the brochure. Businesses that apply for grants must also put up some of their own capital.

At El Loro, the proposed façade improvements total $34,201 and includes $21,700 for a fascia-stone coated steel roof system that looks like a Mexican tile roof, $6,076 for improvements to the stucco so that the entire building is uniform and another $6,425 for painting.

EDC commissioners inquired about the color of the building by pointing out the existing bright ones.

City Administrator Barry Stock said the city’s Development Review Committee (DRC) shares those concerns and expressed a desire to the owners of El Loro to tone down the proposed bright salmon color to a more neutral tone to match the tones on The Hamilton building, which is located directly behind the business.

The $2,500 grant for improvements to the trash enclosure will help pay for the total cost of $5,600. Improvements will be made to the current structure so that it matches the building, stucco will be applied on the exterior and a new gate will be installed.

Planning Manager Bryan Tucker explained that El Loro’s lot is very restrictive in terms of this aspect of the business, but the upgrades will keep the trash screened from the public, match the building and still allow trash haulers to access the Dumpster behind the wall.

The EDC turned down the request for a $5,000 grant for landscape screening because the scope of that project was outside of the definition of screening the property.

Tucker said El Loro’s application for this grant detailed constructing a patio on the west side of the building, putting a fence around it and then screening the area with shrubs. The outside patio area will increase El Loro’s seating capacity by eight seats and allow for an outdoor smoking area.

Stock said increasing the seating capacity of the restaurant will cause El Loro to pay more utility fees for sewer and water treatment, so he didn’t know if the owners would go ahead with that aspect of the proposal.

EDC commissioners inquired if there was enough room to do this aspect of the project. Tucker said there are three parallel parking stalls there now that are difficult to get in an out of, but there is room for the expansion.

Commissioner also inquired about the large El Loro sign, which features three tall candles.

Stock said although that type of sign is currently not allowed in the downtown business district, that one is grandfathered in because the building has been there for a long time. He said El Loro does not have plans to replace it, but will be landscaping around the base of it to make it look nicer at ground level.

 Nancy Huddleston can be reached at editor@savagepacer.com.  

What do you think? Just because the city is giving a grant to El Loro, should it dictate the color of the building? To voice your opinion, go to www.savagepacer.com, sign up as a registered user and put your comments at the bottom of this story.