With the onset of spring comes the opportunity to refresh tired and drab storefronts, replace deteriorated wood, power wash and tuck point brick surfaces and rejuvenate the building with a fresh coat of paint.

While this is more than just spring cleaning, thanks to Mayor Don Lyons and Dowagiac City Council, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) offers financial assistance to downtown building owners who renovate their front facades. Monies previously appropriated by council from the city’s economic development budget, to reinstate the $10,000 Facade Incentive & Architectural Design Services Program, were used to rejuvenate properties owned by Drs. Brenda and Steven Smoke, Deb and Curt Rohdy and Linda Preston, and the storefront leased by Toysa True.

Vickie Phillipson, DDA and Chamber of Commerce program director, said the DDA has also received applications from four other building owners, who plan to renovate their properties this construction season.

“When Dowagiac began the redevelopment of its downtown 26 years ago, it put in place several key programs to encourage property and business owners to restore their buildings in a consistent and esthetically appropriate manner to the existing architectural structure, while at the same time giving them the flexibility to make sure their businesses were configured in a way that best served their needs,” Lyons said. “Among those steps was the hiring of a full-time downtown development director and the creation of the DDA’s Design Review Committee, whose job it was to review proposed storefront remodeling plans and, if the proposed plans were satisfactory, to provide the property owner with seed money to help defray some of the renovation costs.”

“During the first 15 years of the redevelopment of our downtown, those incentive monies and architectural guidance played a key role in creating the central business district we have today. In later years, as most of the buildings were remodeled, the importance of the storefront renovation effort became less important and the use of the facade incentive funds dwindled.”

Phillipson said today’s reinstated program encourages the continued upgrade of storefronts, as it helps property owners address the wear and tear their buildings have encountered over the last 26 years. The revised program is being administered on a matching funds basis. Property and business owners are eligible to receive an incentive of up to $2,000 for the front renovation of their building. Owners of twin or double storefronts are eligible to receive up to $3,000. Previously, the incentive was only $1,000.

For more information or to receive an application, call the DDA at 782-8212.