Mayor Tom Henry saw so much success with the city's commercial facade grant program that Tuesday he expanded the program and designated $200,000 for another round of funding. The mayor allocated $400,000 earlier this year.
The city will match up to $20,000 for commercial property owners who want to make enhancements on facades, signs, lighting, awnings, parking improvements, decorative fencing and the like.
“This was such an enormous success,” Henry said. “There's no question we wanted to do it again.”
This round of grants will include manufacturing companies, said Julie Sanchez of the Redevelopment Department.
The city will propose six new and three amended economic development target areas before the Economic Development Council on Nov. 19.
The proposal will be introduced to City Council on Nov. 24, with discussion Dec. 1 and a vote for final approval Dec. 8.
The new areas are on Goshen Avenue, St. Joseph Boulevard, Sherman and Spring streets, McKinnie Avenue and Hanna Street, Spy Run Avenue and Clinton Street, and Clinton just south of Penn Avenue.
Twenty-six projects representing about $1.5 million in investment resulted from the first round of grants. Businesses along the Wells Street corridor took advantage, including Hyde Brothers Booksellers, which had a massive mural painted by local artist Julia Meek on the side of its building. The mural shows well-known landmarks and buildings in Fort Wayne.
“The grant came together at the right time, and it's a beautiful result,” Hyde Brothers Booksellers owner Sam Hyde said.
