EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – The Downtown Excelsior Partnership, or DEP, received $50,000 to allocate grants for external building improvements downtown. On April 4 at the Hall of Waters, the City Council approved the money for the DEP’s Façade Program. Most façade grants go toward “awnings and signage improvements to the exteriors” of downtown properties, City Manager Molly McGovern stated in a memo to city leaders. Some funding will go to the Excelsior Springs Museum and Archives for external renovations “to help protect some of their goods,” with the rest supporting renovations by private enterprises, DEP Executive Director Lyndsey Baxter told city leaders. Missing museum roofing tiles have caused leaks volunteers are raising funds to fix. The DEP will provide up to $1,500 for sign-related renovations and up to $2,500 for awning projects – an increase of $1,000 and $2,000, respectively, from previous grants, Baxter said. The organizatio...