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Business façade improvements to begin in Powell River

Grant recipients along Marine Avenue start makeover process
Community Futures Powell River

A group of eight businesses along Marine Avenue have been chosen as part of the community’s first-ever Business Façade Improvement Program (BFIP) offered by City of Powell River and Community Futures Powell River (CFPR). Two representatives from each group approve the applications.

Six businesses with single frontage were awarded $2,500 each and two corner lots received $5,000. Businesses must match these funds and Community Futures will make loans available for this purpose along with providing architectural services free of charge.

“Each individual business will work with the architect with their ideas and their budget and they’ll come to an agreement,” said CFPR business advisor Allison Boulanger.

Once the architect completes plans they will be submitted to the committee for approval before businesses can proceed. One concept that was definitely ruled out was the idea of having a theme along the corridor stretching from Wharf Street to Alberni Street.

“We didn’t want to do that because not every business wants that,” said Boulanger. “They have their own businesses and they’re all unique.”

One of the recipients, Great Balls of Wool owner Roisin Sheehy-Culhane, said she hoped the grant would help her to make aesthetic improvements while maintaining and restoring the structure of the building originally built in the 1930s.

“Definitely we’re going to focus on the streetfront; we do need some repairs there,” she said. “We need to get it to a place where we can paint it up and make it all pretty.”

A few doors down at Kelly’s Health Shop, owner Nicole Rumley said she was enthusiastic to have received one of the grants.

“It’s a bonus for me because I was looking to make improvements and to give our shop a little of its own identification,” she said.

Acceptable improvements include outside lighting, awnings, doors, windows, architectural elements, paint, siding, moulding and trim. The program does not include murals, landscaping and outdoor furniture, interior improvements, or routine maintenance and structural repairs.Businesses have until next December to complete their projects.

“They have until the end of 2019 to finish their completions because we do have a problem in town with getting a tradesperson,” said Boulanger. “There’s a lot going on in this town and they could be on a waiting list for a contractor.”

Similar programs have proved successful in other communities such as Port Alberni, which began a fund-matching initiative with its Community Futures in 2016. The hope is that will happen in Powell River as well, said Boulanger.

“Hopefully next year other businesses will see what’s happened and what it did for their business storefronts, and hopefully we can do it again,” she added. “If you’re wanting to put your expression of interest in, get it in.”