Editor's Note: This article was updated when the grant program was officially approved by the village board.

With 25 vacant buildings in Sussex, village officials approved a grant that could help businesses jump that final hurdle towards expansion.

It’s called the Economic Growth Grant (EGG), and it’s the brainchild of Sussex’s Community Development Association. Existing Sussex businesses looking to expand into vacant buildings could apply for a $5,000 grant to help them clear common problems.

The development of the grant was approved by the village board early December, but it was initially planned to help bring new businesses into the village. Now it's morphed into a benefit for existing manufacturers. 

“There are examples where a small amount of money is the only thing keeping companies from expanding in the village,” said Jeremy Smith, the Village Administrator. “The first example I can think of is Color Ink where a little bit of money could help them get past hurdles of the state.”

And the money to fund the grant isn’t coming from the taxpayer. The CDA is using money saved from returns on past investments.

For now, manufacturing businesses are the only ones eligible to apply because the CDA doesn’t think retailers add a tax base. In addition, because the grant program is so new, village staff wants to start out small to see if the program is successful.

However, things could quickly change if officials see the need in other types of Sussex businesses. Greg Goetz, the Village President, said the grant needs to be about more than just Sussex’s manufacturers.

“Sometimes it could be a business that the people really like that’s in need,” Goetz said. “If the people want it to stay here and it’s not in the manufacturing industry, I think it needs to be looked at.”