The Quitman Development Corporation awarded three facade grants to Corey and Haley Papez Monday. The couple will be receiving the grants on behalf of their three businesses in downtown Quitman: Main Street Mechanical, the Main Venue and Marketplace on Main at 105 S. Main St.

Plans for the façades include extending the awning between two adjacent buildings and installing heavy wooden posts out front, putting up a small grain silo behind the Marketplace on Main for “signage” and painting at least one business a gun-metal gray.

“The way that we feel about it, it’s kind of like a ‘Welcome to Quitman’ type of (thing),” explained Haley. “Because when you come into town, we’re the first building you see. And we want to…make it prettier.”

Corey says that work on the façades will most likely not be completed simultaneously.

James Attaway, QDC executive director, also gave an update on the potential building of a road near Quitman Business Park Lot 7, which has recently been purchased by Zipps Liquor, LP.

According to Attaway, qualification notices from five engineering firms will be submitted to the QDC by Jan. 9 and discussed at a later date.

The board approved QDC board president Kevan Burroughs to attend the Texas Economic Development Council’s Winter Conference in February 2025. It will be a 3-day conference. The cost of Attaway attending the conference was an already-budgeted item.

They also approved dispensing Christmas bonuses, which was also a budgeted item.