Labyrinth Press Company owner Jeff James presents on expansion plans to Jamestown City Council (March 20, 2023)
Businesses seeking approval of American Rescue Plan funding gave further details on their proposed projects to Jamestown City Council members.
The three businesses, Labyrinth Press Company, Panache Salon, and Summit Wealth Management; had applied for Business Expansion and Building Acquisition (BEBA) Grant program funds.
The Jamestown Local Development Corporation board approved their requests at its February meeting but as the three requests were over the $100,000 threshold, they required City Council approval as well.
Council tabled the resolutions at its voting session in February, with council members saying they wanted more information about what the businesses planned to do.
Labyrinth Press Company has requested $114,855.
Owner Jeff James said he purchased the adjacent building, 4 East Fourth Street, in December 2021 to help expand the restaurant’s kitchen and add more seating, “Without this funding right here, I don’t see what the next step, path forward is to get the spaces to the level of a functioning kitchen down there, which is my goal. My number one goal is getting that space on the basement level to basically add 600 square feet to the kitchen space.”
James said he also has secured $100,000 in working capital from the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency for the project as well. He said Labyrinth currently has 22 employees, with four to five more being hired after the new kitchen is constructed.
Panache Salon owner Kristie Schwab also plans to use $167,105 in funding, if approved, to renovate an adjacent business space she purchased on West Third Street to add additional services to the business, “So that’s where the idea came to add flotation. We had a plan for four tanks. We’ve reduced that to three. I’d like to put in a salt cave, similar to what you find out in Ellicottville, also a sauna and cryotherapy.”
Schwab also said that if she doesn’t receive the ARP funding that the project will not be able to move forward.
Summit Wealth Management, which purchased 1285 North Main Street, has requested $108,705 for renovations to the building including a new roof, handicapped accessible entrance, and additional parking spaces.
Partner Doug Schutte said the business’ main goal is to serve more people, which means hiring more staff, “It would be more of a higher end hire, somebody who’s licensed and capable of processing securities related business. There’s a good chance we’re going to have to go outside of the area to find that, hope not, but we’ll do what we need to fill that position. And we can see, as Kristie pointed out, without funds like this, everything, the whole schedule of doing this, slows down.”
Council member at Large and JLDC Board Member Jeff Russell encouraged council members to try to visit the businesses in person before the voting session on March 27th to see the proposed projects in person. The funding requests will be on the March 27th voting agenda.
All these businesses want money but Jamestown let a good business, Fancee close its doors & put 40 people out of work & the disabled with sketchy transportation. Why don’t we support the businesses we have instead of expanding new untried businesses.