Storefront Improvement Grant

Who can apply

For commercial buildings and businesses located or planning to locate in Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), the City offers the following grants:

My building is a strip mall or has parking out front. Can I apply to the program?

Buildings that have some parking out front but have the potential to become more street oriented are eligible to apply, however the design must improve the connection and safety for pedestrians between the building and the public sidewalk.

My property is part of a commercial condo or strata. How do I apply to the program?

A building is eligible for one grant, regardless of how many ground-level strata titles there may be. The Storefront Improvement Program encourages property owners who share a building to collaborate on building design so that the finished building has a cohesive look and feel. Commercial condominiums may apply to the program through the condo board if the condo board owns the exterior of the building.

To be eligible to apply to the Storefront Improvement Program, all of the following must be true:

❏ The storefront is used for business and will be open to the public.

❏ The building is located within a Business Improvement Area (BIA) or other Council-approved area.

❏ The building is 20 years old or older.

❏ At the end of the project, and for the 5 year maintenance period, I understand that:

❏ All glass will be clear and see-through. Mirrored or tinted films, large window appliques or vinyl wraps are not permitted.

❏ Security shutters and/or interior bars over windows and/or doors are not permitted.

❏ Construction work on my building hasn’t started.

❏ I have met with and/or spoken to the Program Manager to discuss this project and the program.

Projects must include at least three improvements, one of which must be a critical improvement.

To apply to the Storefront Improvement Program, you must be the property owner or someone approved by the property owner to act on their behalf.

Eligible applications must answer yes to all of the following:

❏ Construction work has not started ❏ Property is located within a Business Improvement Area or other Council-approved Target Area ❏ Project will support commercial use on the main floor. Home based businesses do not qualify ❏ Property has not previously received a Storefront Improvement Grant/Facade Improvement Program Grant ❏ Project includes at least one critical improvement (see below for critical improvements) ❏ Building will have clear, unobscured street-level windows once construction is complete and for the 5 year maintenance period ❏ Window tints, vinyl wraps, tinted or frosted glass, large window decals, and window perforations that obscure views in and out of the building are not permitted Contact the Program Manager if you are unsure whether or not your building meets the eligibility criteria. Contact information is on page 13.