Downtown will be getting a facelift thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Northern Development Initiative Trust.
The money, to be managed by Downtown Prince George, will provide grants to downtown business owners who upgrade the exterior appearance of their buildings. The Downtown Prince George 2014 Placemaking Enhancement Initiative will provide grants of up to $5,000 - to a maximum of 25 per cent of the total cost - for downtown facade improvements, Downtown Prince George executive director Carla Johnston said.
"Our target is to assist a minimum of 30 buildings. It's just an incentive for businesses to make that investment for themselves," Johnston said. "We do have two years to complete the work. [But] we want to make as much of that happen before or during next year. We're not dealing with big structural construction - in some cases it's a new window and a coat of paint."
In 2015 Prince George will host the Canada Winter Games, mark the city's 100th anniversary and UNBC's 25th anniversary, and host the annual general meetings of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce and North Central Local Government Association.
"The [Canada Winter] Games are going to be doing all sorts of pageantry in the downtown. We're looking to take that palette and colour the rest of downtown with it," Johnston said. "The spirit of the application is to leverage what is happening next year."
Ten businesses have already signed letters of intent to apply for the funding, which is an expansion of NDIT's existing regional Business Facade Improvement program.
Under the existing program an average of four Prince George businesses have qualified per year, Johnston said.
"It's a huge relief to me that we don't have to be turning people away at the time when we should be doing this the most," she said.
Most of the previous applications have been for the maximum $5,000 amount, meaning each represents a total investment in downtown of $20,000 or more - and up to $100,000 in some cases, Johnston said.
While the majority of the $250,000 will be used for facade improvement grants, the remainder will be used to develop basic design guidelines for the program and install signs at the major roads into downtown welcoming visitors, Johnston said.
"This initiative is a catalyst that will boost economic development in downtown Prince George in time for the 2015 Canada Winter Games and a host of other significant milestones for the city and region as a whole," NDIT chairperson Evan Saugstad said in a written statement.
City committment
The City of Prince George has allocated approximately $125,000 for downtown beautification projects prior to the 2015 Canada Winter Games, city director of planning and development Ian Wells said.
The money will be used to fund public art, benches, signs directing visitors to downtown landmarks and planting additional trees downtown, Wells said.
"I think you'll see significant improvements, overall, in the downtown. It's a multi-actor approach to benefit the downtown," he said.
Wells said city staff are working with Downtown Prince George to develop a plan for the funds.
City council allocated the money from the Downtown Partnership committee's contingency fund.
"Downtown Prince George has a great concept and strategy for improving, beautifying and reenergizing our downtown core," Mayor Shari Green said in a written statement. "This funding will go a long way in commencing the beautification process."
