Sometimes what a small local retail, restaurant, theater, or service business needs is a little facelift. The City of Alameda’s Façade Grant Program offers 50/50 matching grants for businesses and property owners to improve their storefronts and enhance the city’s retail districts. The final application deadline for the 2023-24 Façade Grant Program is Thursday, April 18, 2024.
Under the Façade Grant Program, business and property owners may be eligible for a 50/50 matching grant for exterior painting, new awnings and signs, and other façade improvements. Grant amounts range from $500 to $15,000, depending on the type of work proposed.
Does your business’s awning need work or replacement? For the 2023-24 program only, the City will grant up to 80% of the cost of the work up to $5,000. Grants are awarded on a first come, first served basis.
A great example of the difference a refurbished façade can make is Island Savoy Market, at 1200 Lincoln Ave. in the Bay Street Station historic district. Owner Mike Stevens used matching funds from the Façade Grant Program to refurbish the exterior of the old Market Spot with an updated sign, new exterior paint, new windows and exterior lights, new window signage, and retrofitted/replaced the doors to provide ADA access. The results help to transform the out-of-business market into a thriving community grocery store, deli, and café that attracts customers from around the island.
Learn more about the program on the City’s Façade Grant Program web page. Watch a 30-minute webinar on YouTube for a detailed overview of the program and application process.
For more information or answers to questions, email [email protected].
