Robert and Barb Thorne, owners of the Swedish Passport in Norway, have qualified for a $20,000 grant from the DDA to support improvements to their historic property.

In addition, Peterson Electric, owned by Jim and Deb Peterson, and the Sundance Building, a mixed-use property with four commercial units and several residential units that is owned by Beau Anderson of Eden Properties, have been approved for funding contingent upon project completion.

The goal of the program is to enhance the appearance of downtown Norway, while supporting local businesses and encouraging community revitalization, Norway DDA Coordinator Kenzie Williamson said.

“The grant offers reimbursements up to 70% of the project up to $20,000 to assist with approved exterior updates and renovations to commercial or mixed-use buildings within the DDA district,” she said.

The Swedish Passport before receiving a facelift helped with $20,000 from a Norway Downtown Development Authority’s 2025-2026 Facade Improvement Grants. (Mountain Media House photo)

For the Thornes, the grant supported a major exterior renovation. “It’s a very expensive project for a small business — the grant helps by covering about a third of the cost,” said Robert Thorne, adding that North Forty Construction of Vulcan was the hired contractor.

The Swedish Passport’s 125-year-old building at 626 Iron St. received an exterior facelift that included Diamond Kote, a premier pre-finished engineered wood siding designed for longevity and low maintenance manufactured by Louisiana-Pacific.

“We are very happy with the look,” Thorne said. He added that while the aluminum siding had served well over the years, it was time for an update.

The renovation also added a layer of insulation, a necessary upgrade for the structure.

“This should substantially help on heating bills,” he said.

The North Forty Construction crew finishes the back of the Swedish Passport business. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

“When the contractor removed the old aluminum siding, we were surprised that there was only a layer of black tar paper — no insulation at all,” Barb Thorne added.

The couple is considering new storm windows in the future to preserve the home’s character. “We didn’t want to change the aesthetics of the home by completely replacing the windows,” she said. “A lot of them have bubbles within the glass, which is a historic feature — I don’t want to change that.”

The original three-level building was constructed in 1901 by Dr. Elisha P. Wift, who purchased 90,000 square feet of land from Thomas P. Hayes to build a house and hospital. He closed a contract with Hogan Nelson for the construction that cost $5,000 to $6,000. The home features a large front porch with Doric columns, and Dr. Swift’s office was at the left, front portion of the house.

“The previous owners had removed the third level after a lightning strike fire in the ’60,” said Barb Thorne. “The contractor discovered a portion of the outside wall that had black char that was remnants from that fire that needed to be replaced during renovations.”

Work was completed in about three week’s time, despite a blizzard during the project’s early stages. “They started the project that Wednesday — I couldn’t believe the snow up against the house and they were able to snowblow all the way around to get up the scaffolding.”

The Swedish Passport after receiving a facelift. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

The Thornes praised the work of North Forty Construction’s owner Jake Gendron and his crew, noting all the materials and labor were locally sourced.

“We had wanted to do this project for several years and the DDA grant became available last year, it was time to jump on it,” Robert Thorne said. “This update will help improve the eastern entrance to Norway’s downtown.”

Barb Thorne added the DDA has been very generous with grant monies and encourages other businesses within the district to apply in the future rounds.

The Thornes are grateful to the DDA for the assistances with the project.

Williamsen said that the work on Peterson Electric and the Sundance Building is expected to begin this summer.

Construction must be completed within a year after the grant is awarded, unless an extension is specifically requested and approved by the DDA board due to extenuating circumstances.

“This is currently the second round of grant opportunity providing three owners funds to provide a new ‘facelift’ to their buildings,” she said, adding the first round recipients were the American Legion and Norway Mercantile/Coin Laundry.

The DDA expects to open applications for the 2026-2027 grants between September and November.

She explained the city of Norway has a GIS map layover feature that outlines the district’s boundaries for any business owner who is unsure if they qualify.

The DDA will announce when forms become available to applicants.

For more information on the facade grant, contact Williamsen by email at DDA@norwaymi.gov.

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Terri Castelaz can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85241, or tcastelaz@ironmountaindailynews.com.