Grants & Assistance

The award of grants pursuant to DDD incentive programs is contingent upon the availability of funds. Please contact the Downtown Development District to inquire into funding availability and program requirements.

Façade Improvement

Façade Improvement Grants can provide up to $20,000 in matching grants for improvements such as sign repair/replacement, window/door repair/replacement, painting, and permitting.

Façade Micro Grants can provide up to $6,000 in matching grants for improvements such as street furniture, awnings, and retail window displays.

The Micro Grant will also provide $3,000 with no matching requirement for businesses to install exterior lighting.

Façade Improvement Grant

DDD Façade Brochure

Façade Micro Grant

Graffiti Removal

Property owners can receive a 50% reimbursement up to $2,500 to offset the expense of graffiti removal from their property.

Private Property Graffiti Removal Program

Public Property Graffiti Removal Initiative

Streets & Sidewalks

Property owners can receive a matching grant of up to $40,000 to replace or improve the sidewalks adjacent to their properties.

Organizations sponsoring civic and community events or special events can partner with the DDD to place their messaging on streetlight banners throughout Downtown.

Sidewalk Enhancement Grant

Street Banner Program

Façade Improvements

619 Canal St. is a century-old Greek revival commercial building dating from the 1840s. A grease fire in the early 2000s destroyed the entire building. The property owner rebuilt the entire structure and even restored the double galleries that were once lost. The first floor houses a popular quick-serve restaurant and the upper two floors have been built out as four luxury apartments.

The Italianate building at Canal St. and S. Rampart had been covered for 50 years with an aluminum façade. The Fischer family, which owns the building, utilized the DDD Façade Grant to restore the original design. Today the building is under renovation as part of the Hosteling International project. Fischer’s Jewelry, which has been in the building for more than 30 years, remains as a retail institution on this busy corner.

823 Canal St. was one of the most challenging façade restorations to date. The late Victorian building, dating from the 1890s had been significantly altered from the 1950s through the 1970s. Using historic reference photos we were able to recreate a near replica of the original building. All of the architectural details in this project, along with the windows, had to be completely recreated.