Big Whiskey’s, Runyon’s and Sample Road plaza receive grants from city agency

Three grants totaling nearly $270,000 were approved for three local business improvement projects at the Coral Springs Community Redevelopment Agency meeting Monday night.

Big Whiskey’s American Restaurant and Bar, which is already generating community buzz pre-construction, received a $100,000 reimbursable commercial property enhancement grant, meaning the owners will receive the funds once the improvements are complete.

The restaurant will sit on the ground floor of the north Modera apartment tower in the downtown Cornerstone development, on the southwest corner of University Drive and Sample Road. City staff and board members expressed excitement for the new spot.

The owners, siblings Steve and Jackie Swanson, anticipate the full buildout of the interior dining room, kitchen and patio to take about six months. They’re going through the city’s permitting process, which they said has been going smoothly.

The CRA has doled out similar grants for other businesses in Cornerstone, including the recently opened Mitch’s Downtown Bagel Cafe, as well as the planned Pilates studio Tremble, Paris Baguette, Let’s Chill ice cream and Gary Racks Farmhouse Kitchen.

Two other businesses were approved for grants at the April 27 meeting as well. Longtime family-owned Runyon’s received unanimous approval for $77,505.50 for renovations to the roof, awnings and other exterior improvements.

The board approved $92,311.50 for Alex Lee, the owner of 9891-9899 W. Sample Road LLC, to redo the parking lot asphalt and modernize the facade of the shopping center, which is almost 50 years old, according to the grant application.

Gisele Rahael, president of Amera Companies, also gave an update on the upcoming City Village project going in across the street from City Hall on the north side of Sample Road. The first phase of the project will consist of 300 apartment units across two buildings, with over 10,000 square feet of retail space in each, plus a parking garage.

Though a groundbreaking date hasn’t been set, Rahael said Compson Associates will handle the development. Compson Associates Vice President Carl Klepper Jr. shared at the meeting that his family-run business has aligned interests with Amera, also a family-run business that owns The Walk on University.

He outlined a vision of a rooftop restaurant and entertainment in a mixed-use shopping center, with the intention of filling a marketplace gap, rather than repeating what’s already been done.

The next CRA meeting is scheduled for June 22.