One downtown Albert Lea building may soon be seeing some major facade renovations.

On Monday, the Albert Lea City Council will vote on awarding its first matching grant for facade restoration from the Broadway Ridge Renewal Grant Fund.

The council in February voted to implement the grant program, which involves a 50/50 match up to $50,000 for approved building projects.

Up to that point, the program had been simply a revolving loan program, which no one had applied for.

Albert Lea City Manager Chad Adams said there is currently about $193,000 in the fund.

AZ-1 Inc. is the first applicant to request matching grant funds for its building — known as the Community Cornerstone — at the northwest corner of Broadway Avenue and Main Street, formerly the Bible Bookstore.

Adams said the estimated project cost is about $122,000, including windows and the store front. The organization is requesting the full $50,000 offered.

The Heritage Preservation Commission and the Albert Lea Port Authority have already reviewed the project, and the next step will be to obtain an easement agreement.

If the project is approved, city staff in the Inspection Department, city planning and the city manager’s office will follow up to make sure the project is completed as the plans outlined.

Adams said there are also two other potential facade projects seeking grant funding downtown.

The city hopes the program will jump-start renovations in the downtown.

In other action, the council will:

• Vote whether to accept bid and award the contract for the taxiway construction and apron rehabilitation portion of the Albert Lea Airport improvements.

Only one bid, from Ulland Brothers Inc., was received for $2.8 million.

The engineer’s estimate was almost $2.4 million.

• Vote whether to execute a grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation regarding the grants for the airport taxiway and apron rehabilitation projects.

The grants are expected to be 95 percent federal funds and 5 percent local funds for the project.

• Vote whether to authorize an agreement between the city and Lou-Rich for a new Front Street pedestrian crossing in front of the business.

Adams said Lou-Rich officials approached the city in the fall of 2010 out of an attempt to improve safety at the crossing.

The agreement would including installing rectangular rapid flash beacon flashers on the pedestrian crossing sings to increase driver awareness.

Under the agreement, Lou-Rich will pay for the equipment, installation and electricity, while the city will own and maintain the equipment.

• Vote whether to approve the purchase of a 6-foot-high flow pump to be used by the Utility Department during lift station failure. The pump will also be used by the wastewater treatment plant for dewatering when it replaces piping and a gate this fall.

The cost is almost $30,000.

• Hear a report of the 2011 budget projections through the rest of the year from the city manager.

• Hear a recommendation from the city manager regarding the future leadership of the city’s Finance Department.

• Vote whether to approve a request from First Lutheran Church to use city barricades on Clark Street on Sept. 11 for a rally at Central Park.

The rally is a collaboration between First Lutheran Church, Trinity Lutheran Church, Salem Lutheran Church, First Baptist Church and First Presbyterian Church.

• Vote whether to approve a check diversion program agreement.