Facade funding program opens

A new facade improvement program should help spruce up some storefronts in Kalispell’s Downtown Business Improvement District.

The program is offering matching grants of up to $5,000 for eligible projects.

It’s open to commercial properties or residential properties turning commercial. Eligible work includes signs, awnings, storefront rehabilitation, masonry repairs, repainting and the repair or replacement of deteriorated or hazardous sidewalks.

“There’s only a certain amount we can allocate each year,” district coordinator Pam Carbonari told the Kalispell City Council during a recent work session.

“We hope to get dollars from Montana Main Street to add, but we’ve allocated some from our own budget,” Carbonari said. “We’re dedicated to making sure that people driving through [the downtown] see what’s going on and want to stop.”

Budget records show the Downtown Business Improvement District — which levies property taxes from properties within its boundaries — allocating $20,000 for the program for the 2013-14 fiscal year.

A committee will evaluate grant applications based on a project’s impact, financial leverage, cost and schedule, permanence and community contributions of the applicant.

For more information about the program, visit: www.downtownkalispell.com/bid.