Six community business districts in Hamilton County will get some help for a facelift. County commissioners approved $300,000 split between the six to help jumpstart storefront improvements.
Reading's Economic Development Director Linda Fitzgerald says the $50,000 will go a long way.
“We will be providing up to 20 percent of the project cost. We’re hoping to do about eight or 10 façade grants,” she says. “Frankly, we got letters of interest from enough property owners to spend all the money.”
Those property owners have to pay for the other 80% of improvements.
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Fitzgerald says it's like a loan program Reading had back in the '90s.
“What we found is that even though we had a limited amount of money to put towards the program, when one business sees what their neighbor is doing it generates community pride,” she says. “And we saw a real triggering effect.”
Fitzgerald says while Reading’s share will only help eight businesses, it will have a big impact.
“Increases foot traffic, which then increases sales and property values,” she says. “It creates jobs and more investment. A lot of positive economic impacts from these small programs. They go a long way towards doing that.”
The other communities selected are Cheviot, Harrison, Mt. Healthy, Lockland and Woodlawn.
