City of Santa Monica announces upcoming matching grant program for Pico Boulevard businesses
November 27, 2024 1:44 PM
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Nov. 27, 2024) – Small businesses on Pico Boulevard can soon apply for grant funds to improve their storefront thanks to a new matching grant program from the city of Santa Monica.
Through the Commercial Façade Improvement Matching Grant Program, small businesses can receive a dollar-to-dollar match of up to $10,000 to use for:
- Replacement of exterior elements such as old signs, awnings, window displays, lighting, siding, façade elements, or other architectural details
- Repair of exterior elements such as paint and patch of the façade
- Landscaping
- Installation of new entry doors and entryways that meet ADA standards
- Exterior security enhancements based on recommendations from a Santa Monica Police Department assessment
Funding for the program comes from federal Community Development Block Grants provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to enhance economic vitality in the areas that serve low-income and moderate-income households. Earlier this year, the City Council, the city earmarked a portion of these funds to help support small businesses.
This first phase of the grant program will focus on small business owners who have historically experienced higher barrier to assessing capital; inclusive of minority owned, woman owned, and LGBTQ+ owned businesses. There will be additional consideration for selecting Santa Monica vendors for material and labor to further support and reinvest in local businesses.
Following this pilot phase in the Pico Business Improvement District, the city will explore expanding to other business areas in Santa Monica.
There will be an official kick-off meeting for the grant program on Jan. 15, 2025, at 4 p.m. in the Annex at Pico Branch Library, 2201 Pico Blvd.
In the meantime, interested businesses can schedule appointments with the Police Department for security audits and begin thinking of their proposed uses for the grant. To schedule an appointment, email halima.barreto@santamonica.gov.
For more information and to apply, visit santamonica.gov programs/small-business-matching-grant-program. For questions, contact the Economic Development Division at econdev@santamonica.gov or (310) 458-8906.
Media Contact
Tati Simonian
Public Information Officer
Tati.Simonian@santamonica.gov
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