NORWICH – City officials, at this month’s Common Council meeting, authorized a joint application with the Business Improvement District Management Association (BIDMA) for the 2010 round of Main Street grant funding.

Through the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), the program previously awarded grant money to owners of downtown properties willing to pick up half the tab towards renovations and improvements, in an effort to revitalize the business district.

If the grant is awarded this year, however, owners will only be asked to foot 25 percent of the expenses, reported Planning and Community Development Specialist Todd Dreyer, who added that the total amount available through the grant has also increased from $200,000 per year to $500,000.