La Junta URA approves second $50,000 Spark Grant round
The authority removed the 10-project limit and broadened eligibility; awards will continue until the additional funding is exhausted.
The La Junta Urban Renewal Authority approved a second 2026 round of Spark Grants, setting aside up to $50,000 and removing the previous 10-project limit, during its July 23 meeting.
The authority also changed eligibility requirements. Applicants must be businesses registered with the state and in good standing, rather than businesses with a current city business license and properties in good standing, according to the meeting record.
Awards will continue until the additional $50,000 is exhausted, so the round could fund more or fewer than 10 projects depending on award amounts. The city’s Spark Grant program document describes grants of up to $5,000 per business and says applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
The available records do not provide a specific opening date or closing deadline for the second round. They also do not identify first-round recipients, projects or award amounts. Authority staff said it would contact first-round participants for progress updates after the three-month project threshold was reached.
The authority’s July financial report showed $60,000 spent from a $200,000 rehabilitation-grant budget, leaving $140,000 unencumbered in that line. That balance is not the authority’s total cash available. The report separately listed $145,000 in outstanding encumbrances for the Plaza Block project and no rehabilitation-grant encumbrance.
The report was included in materials for the authority’s Aug. 27 meeting. The available attachment does not establish whether the financial report was formally approved, according to the July financial report.