Representatives from T-Mobile’s Hometown Grants were present Thursday, March 20, to make a $50,000 presentation for the Bijou Movie Theater.
“We want this to have an impact in the community in a positive manner,” said Tareq Abumoar with T-Mobile.
Mayor Tom Wieseler thanked T-Mobile for their support, noting that a donation of this size for a local business will have great ripples in the community.
“As a small business, a grant of this size is significant,” Kelli Kennon-Lane, owner of the Bijou Movie Theater said. “We could not have been able to do $50,000 of capital improvements on our own.”
Kennon-Lane said more than 90 percent of the grant monies is being allocated in work from local vendors – $32,000 from businesses right in Mount Vernon and Lisbon and $13,000 from businesses in Linn County.
“The only expense we couldn’t get locally was the projector we’re purchasing for our outdoor space,” Kennon-Lane said. “We wanted to keep as much of our spending as locally as we could, and this will benefit roughly 12 local businesses helping us with work.”
Projects that grant money will go towards include:
• New awnings to the front of the building from Rickard Sign and Design
• New lit signs for the front and rear of the building from Rickard Sign and Design
• A mural by Alex Rambo on the west side of the building
• Uplighting around the west and rear side of the building
• An outdoor screen on the east side of the building
• A new portable projector and sound system for the outdoor movie screening
• New front door
• A privacy fence along the east side on the property line
• Electrical upgrades to accommodate outdoor projector and uplighting
• Native pollinator plants and grasses by Rhubarb Botanicals
• On site compost system and outdoor trash and recycling containers from MV Ace Hardware
• A bike rack to encourage bike riding to the Bijou
A public reception for the grant funding will be held during Chalk the Walk Saturday, May 3, and there are plans to host other events once the work is finished.
This year also marks the Bijou Movie Theater’s 50th anniversary in Mount Vernon.