Proving that they occasionally spend money on the right projects, the City of Carlsbadistan City Council on December 8, 2009 approved a grant program that will help businesses in The Village upgrade their store fronts.
City staff estimate that, depending on the amounts of the individual grants, the initial allocation of $300,000 will pay for 16 or 17 façade improvements in the downtown Village area, which encompasses some 200 acres in central Carlsbad. Based on the success of the initial allocation, the program could be expanded in the future. . . Funding for the program will come from the Village Redevelopment Operations Fund, which must be used for improvements within the redevelopment area. Only businesses located with the boundaries of the Village area are eligible for the grants.
If only we had a store with a front in The Village. . . For more information on the grants contact the Carlsbad Redevelopment Agency at 760-434-2810 or visit their web site at www.carlsbadca.gov/redevelopment.
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City invests in partnership with Village businesses
The Carlsbad City Council on Tuesday approved a matching grant program designed to encourage businesses in the downtown Village area to beautify their storefronts with new lighting, signage and other improvements.
Under the program approved by the Council, business owners who apply for the grants can receive a maximum of $15,000 to pay for materials, equipment and supplies needed to spruce up their facades. The grants cannot be used for labor costs, and the businesses will have to match the city grants dollar for dollar with their own investments, either in cash or through “sweat equity.”
City staff estimate that, depending on the amounts of the individual grants, the initial allocation of $300,000 will pay for 16 or 17 façade improvements in the downtown Village area, which encompasses some 200 acres in central Carlsbad. Based on the success of the initial allocation, the program could be expanded in the future.
“The Carlsbad Village has a unique mix of retail, restaurants and other businesses, with charm and ambiance unmatched by any downtown center in San Diego County,” said Debbie Fountain, Carlsbad’s housing and redevelopment director. “The economy has impacted the ability of small businesses to carry out improvement projects on their own. This grant program represents a partnership of the city’s redevelopment agency with local businesses for the betterment of the entire downtown business community.”
Funding for the program will come from the Village Redevelopment Operations Fund, which must be used for improvements within the redevelopment area. Only businesses located with the boundaries of the Village area are eligible for the grants.
Among the priorities for the program is new lighting of shop windows that will enhance the Village’s appeal to nighttime visitors. Other acceptable projects include painting; signage; canopies or marquees; animation of storefront windows; and landscaping, such as window boxes, hanging planters or storefront plants.
As part of the program, businesses will be able to consult with a commercial storefront contractor to help them determine the best and most cost-effective improvements for their individual businesses.
Grants are expected to be awarded soon after the first of the year and improvements anticipated to begin by the spring of 2010.
The city’s goal in making the grants is to reinvest in the downtown business core and encourage additional private investment, which will in turn improve the appearance and accessibility of Village businesses and attract new visitors.
Businesses can learn more about the program and obtain an application by calling the Carlsbad Redevelopment Agency at 760-434-2810 or visiting the agency’s Web site at www.carlsbadca.gov/redevelopment.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
My only criticism with this grant program is that it doesn’t have teeth in it.
It’s shameful and despicable how some of the commercial building owners in the Village have allowed their properties to fall into such disrepair and deterioration. Why can’t the City designate our beloved Village a conservation district. Under such a district, owners would be forced to maintain their properties.
Most Village property owners could care less about a grant for such things and won’t spend a farthing on maintenance of their dilapidated structures, matching grant or no, and are just very patiently waiting for a renegade developer (with bulldozer) to just hand them a wad of cash for their desirable coastal real estate.
There are certain occasions when municipalities should “make an offer you can’t refuse” – in my opinion, now’s the time.
This is a great first step in the right direction! As “The Editors” have said here, it’s nice to see money being spent the right way.
In response to the first comment:
Zoning the Village area as a historical or conservation area is way more detailed and cumbersome than it may seem. I will agree with you that it sounds like a fantastic idea…but… I grew up in Gettysburg, PA, a very historic civil war town and have seen what these laws/rules can do. Now comparing the two towns may be a little over the edge, but it will help me explain the pitfalls in “conservation” areas.
1. Existing property owners who do take care of their properties will find it harder to get projects approved because the process takes longer and is more stringent as far as what can be built or added.
2. Everytime you break an empty piggy bank, you get the same result…No money comes out. You can take steps to try to force Village business owners’ hands, but you can’t pinch dollars where they don’t exist.
3. The feds like to get involved anytime something like this happens. And with the federal governments involvement comes more restrictions than you can even imagine.
Carlsbad has taken the steps to spruce up our image. Now it is time to support new businesses coming in to the Village area. This may force the hand of the “un-motivated” property owners who feel the competition coming on.
When I moved here, the first thing I noticed was how Carlsbad residents go out of their way to make you feel welcome and at home. It’s why I have chosen to make this my home. We need to make businesses that want to move here feel the same way!
Jon Wantz
Candidate for Carlsbad City Council 2010
http://www.twitter.com/votejonwantz
In response to the above comment:
Well let’s just wait and see how it all plays out shall we?
Absolutely, only time will tell if the plan works! And I hope for all of us that it does. We live in one of the most beautiful cities in the country and as long as we strive to continually make it better, it will be this way for generations to come!
Jon Wantz
Candidate for Carlsbad City Council 2010
http://www.twitter.com/votejonwantz