Minonk is applying for a state grant that will bring in funds to make improvements to the downtown business corridor. The improvements can be found in the Grant Presentation link below.
The city is collecting data on how businesses were impacted by the pandemic. Letters were sent to local businesses asking them to participate in a survey on how they were effected by the pandemic and how the grant can improve their business.
The city also is seeking input from Minonk residents on how the grant can improve the community.
To gather this information the city is using the following survey. Please take a few minutes to complete the questions and submit your responses by Saturday, December 18, 2021. You can access the survey by clicking on the link below. The application will be strong with the inclusion of support letters from the business owners and citizens of Minonk.
Click here to take the survey.
Click here for the grant presentation
You can also provide input into the proposal as outlined below in a letter from councilman Julie McNamara who is helping in the presentation.

Rebuild Downtown Minonk   
To whom it may concern;    
The City of Minonk is seeking testimonial letters of support to be included in the Rebuild Downtowns & Main Streets Capital Grant. The grant is sponsored by the State of Illinois with the purpose of helping businesses and communities recover from the impact of the pandemic. The grant approval and the planned improvements are just the beginning of the new generation of growth leading to a brighter future.   
The City will use the grant funds to make improvements to the downtown district. All of this effort is essential for Minonk’s survival. The mission is to build and support an environment that fosters growth to current, new, and future businesses in Minonk; as well as, bring in needed services for the community. The Rebuild Downtown Project includes several components: expand outdoor dining, repair sidewalks, and repave Chestnut Street. An exciting element of the improvements is the purchase of 3 buildings that have suffered major damage due to age and deterioration. The buildings will be demolished and replaced with one new building using state of the art technology. This new building will serve as the foundation for the growth and development of the downtown district. It will include apartments, office space for an incubator,  multiple revolving commercial spaces for such businesses as a deli/mini-mart, food creation, retail, and café in the roof-top gardens. Along with the building, a nonprofit organization will be created to incubate entrepreneurship and support continued growth.   
The testimonial letters of support are a key element of the grant application; more importantly it demonstrates how much this means to the entire community. In the letter please include your business and contact information to let the grant reviewers know if you are a current business owner, a prospective business owner, or a citizen of Minonk. 
Please tell your story from the heart and address the following areas:  

How your business and/or life was impacted by the pandemic.

How the improvements to downtown will benefit your business or entice you to bring your business to Minonk.  

How the improvements to downtown will benefit you personally and the community.   

If you have any questions, please feel free to call and leave a message at Minonk City Hall (309) 432-2558 or email [email protected] or [email protected]. 
We will respond to messages as quickly as we can. We want to thank you in advance for your assistance.   Please send the letter by Saturday, December 18, 2021 to:   Minonk City Hall OR email: [email protected]