The Friends of Belleview Library are getting a little help from City Hall to keep the rain where it belongs: outside.
The Belleview City Commission approved a $2,500 property improvement grant during its October 20 meeting to help replace aging, deteriorating gutters at the organization’s Book Nook, located at 6007 SE Earp Road.
The project carries an estimated price tag of $3,200, with the nonprofit organization responsible for covering the remaining $700.
According to the grant application, the building’s existing gutters are more than 20 years old and have developed holes in multiple locations. Some sections are also pulling away from the building, while portions of the front of the structure have no gutters at all.
The proposed improvements will address those problems while giving the building a much-needed facelift.
In its application, the organization explained that the Book Nook is a nonprofit used bookstore that helps generate funding for programs at the Belleview Public Library.
Supporting photographs included with the application show holes in the existing gutters, sections pulling away from the structure and areas where gutters need to be installed. The city reviewed the request through its Beautify Belleview Property Improvement Grant Program, which provides financial assistance for eligible property improvements.
The city has budgeted $10,000 for the grant program during the 2026-27 fiscal year. The Friends of Belleview Library application was the first grant request approved under that year’s allocation, leaving $7,500 available for additional projects.
For the Friends of Belleview Library, the funding means fewer dollars spent on building maintenance and more resources available to support its mission of helping the local library.
