City of Frederick Recieves $100,000 grant to help revitalize business facades

The award will be used to continue and expand a city-wide façade improvement grant program and Mission Interior program in Frederick.

(PRWEB) December 07, 2016

The City of Frederick has been awarded $100,000 in Community Legacy Grant Funds by The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

The award will be used to continue and expand a city-wide façade improvement grant program and Mission Interior program in Frederick. Frederick's program funds will support the continuation and expansion of a Façade Improvement Matching Grant Program within Downtown Frederick, the Patrick Street Corridor Community and East Frederick Rising. The programs will be administered jointly by the City of Frederick's Department of Economic Development and its partners - Downtown Frederick Partnership, Golden Mile Alliance and East Frederick Rising.

Of the $100,000 grant award, $56,000 will be allocated to the Downtown Frederick Partnership, $22,000 to East Frederick Rising, and $22,000 to the Golden Mile Alliance.

"It is the city's goal to use this program to leverage private capital to rehabilitate buildings, improve the aesthetics of neighborhoods, increase community pride, and encourage others to invest in their buildings," said City of Frederick Director of Economic Development Richard Griffin. "Frederick's façade improvement program has made remarkable differences in Downtown Frederick, and last year we began making similar investments in the entire Patrick Street Corridor.

"The Downtown Frederick Partnership is excited to receive this funding in order to continue both our Facade Improvement Grant Project as well as Mission Interior. To date, the program has helped improve more than 100 building facades in Downtown Frederick. Mission Interior, in its first year, assisted six businesses in making interior improvements to increase the success of their businesses and Downtown Frederick overall," said Kara Norman, executive director of Downtown Frederick Partnership.

Fiscal Year 2016 was the second year the program expanded to include East Frederick Rising and the Golden Mile corridors. The expanded Façade Program has generated interest, press, and pending projects. The Golden Mile Alliance was allocated $22,000 and to date, all funds have been allocated along the corridor to complete façade improvement projects.

The Downtown Frederick Partnership has allocated all of their allotted funding for fiscal year 2016. East Frederick Rising has identified eligible properties, and anticipates funds to be allocated.

The Community Legacy program provides local governments and community development organizations with resources to promote business retention and attraction, encourage homeownership and commercial revitalization. Forty-nine projects in 18 counties and Baltimore City received a total of $3.47 million in Community Legacy grants in fiscal year 2017. The City of Frederick Department of Economic Development strives to increase economic opportunity for Frederick residents through job creation, revitalization and reinvestment.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/12/prweb13905472.htm