FERRIDAY — Ferriday officials are courting an industrial prospect that would create 25 jobs and occupy the former Kelly’s Kids building, but first the town must capitalize on grant funding.

The town has received a $125,000 grant from Delta Regional Authority to renovate the Louisiana 15 property.

Town leaders are hoping to double that amount by merging the grant with another one for a project that has fallen through, Mayor Glen McGlothin said.

The DRA had awarded $125,000 for the revitalization of a downtown building, but the potential client for the space is no longer in the picture.

“If we lump it in together we can finish one project and do one good project,” McGlothin said. “Since (the other client) isn’t coming anymore, I didn’t want to lose that money.”

The combination of the grant awards would give the town $250,000 to spend on the Kelly’s Kids building renovation.

Concordia Parish Economic and Industrial Development District Executive Director Heather Malone said the town is in the final stages of leasing the building to the potential client, but can’t disclose information about the client until the lease is signed.

“We have a few changes to make on our end, but the company is ready to sign the lease,” Malone said. “They also still have several steps that they’re working through to make sure they know what equipment they’re going to need.”

Malone said the client has also agreed to make renovations, so the lease isn’t completely contingent on the extra grant monies being received.

“They will be investing in the property as well,” Malone said. “It’s not all based on that grant money, but that’s definitely one of the moving pieces.”

Both McGlothin and Malone said they hope the DRA sees the importance and benefits of allowing the town to transfer the grant money from one project to the other.

“They are both economic development projects that will create jobs for the town of Ferriday and the parish, so we’re hoping that they will see those are similar enough projects for us to do that,” Malone said. “We really don’t want the funding to leave Ferriday or the parish.”

Malone said she and McGlothin have been in touch with Kisatchie-Delta Regional Planning & Development District in Alexandria, which handles all DRA grants for the parish, to see what steps need to be taken to transfer the award monies.

“We’ll have to file new paperwork, show the job creation and show that it’s an economic development project,” McGlothin said. “I really don’t want to lose that money.”