Essex Launches New Façade Improvement Grant

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Business owners in Essex Centre and Harrow Centre may now be eligible for a refurbishment grant of up to $2,000 through the Town’s Community Improvement Plan Program.

The new mini-grant program was approved at the January meeting of Council, and provides business owners operating in the designated CIP Project Areas of Essex Centre and Harrow Centre with a 100% grant of up to $2,000 to support visual improvements to front façades, signage, murals, architectural features, entrances, lighting and awnings.

“This supplementary grant is intended to encourage minor rehabilitation of properties to address building façade deterioration and visible wear and tear that could be corrected at a relatively low-cost,” says Jeff Watson, Policy Planner.

Since 2012, the Town has offered a comprehensive CIP program geared toward major alterations. That program requires property owners or business operators to contribute 50 percent of the cost of rehabilitation through the Façade Improvement Grant, with the municipality providing up to $12,000 in grant monies.

“The Mini-Grant Program will allow business owners to refresh an existing façade and improve the business and building attractiveness without major alterations,” says Watson.

To find out more about the Mini-Grant Program, you can contact the Planning Department at 519-776-7336, extension 1128.