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Streetscape Improvement Project
In the Fall of 2007, the North 22nd Street Commercial District was selected to receive a grant from the Restore Program which is part of the NTI Bond program specifically designed to help improve the infrastructure on commercial corridors. This grant provided funds to hire KS Engineering to design and cost out a complete renovation of the entire commercial corridor infrastructure which would include new sidewalks, trees, street and pedestrian lights, and gateways to the commercial corridor. It also included money to start up and complete some of these improvements. There have been five meetings to date that have discussed ideas and design sample boards for selection by the merchants on the corridors affected. Now we are at a point of selecting what is the most critical improvement that is needed on the corridor that will be covered by the available funds. We will make this selection early 2009 with a project completion date in the fall of 2009.
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Façade Improvement Project
Initially, all commercial corridors were only to receive a streetscape grant. However the Commerce department proposed an additional grant to encourage beatification and rehabilitation of existing store fronts. The idea was to implement a contiguous uniform façade design on two blocks of the commercial corridor. The merchants would have to buy in to this program sharing a percentage of the costs along with agreeing to the façade guidelines. This would compliment the infrastructure improvements giving the commercial corridor a bright new look. A proposal was submitted to Commerce that would use this grant to treat 52 facades which would include new quarter barrel awnings with signage, removing old awnings and signage, new see through security gates that allows the interior of stores to be seen giving a more inviting look at night, new windows or window treatment, store front painting, and bay treatment and repair. Some buildings need major work and others very little. We are eagerly waiting for the awarding of this grant.
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North 22nd Street Completed Façade Renovation
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