Apart from the scenic view of the Saginaw River, its festivals, shops and restaurants, an essential element of
Downtown Bay City’s beauty is the bricks and mortar itself.
The neighborhood’s 19
th Century edifices and their distinctive facades lend downtown its ambience. For the business owners and residents within those historical brickworks, maintaining and enriching the historical charm can be a costly endeavor.
To that end, the
Downtown Bay City Facade Improvement Program offers matching grants to businesses making plans to beautify the business district.
This marks the third year the Facade Improvement Program Committee,
Downtown Bay City Management Board (DMB),
Downtown Bay City Development Authority (DDA), and
Bay County Growth Alliance have come together to aid in downtown’s beautification.
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Before a facade renovation, the awning at Mulligan's Pub showed signs of wear and tear. (Photo courtesy of Downtown Bay City)To see the difference a facade makes, take note of changes to Mulligan’s Pub, which resides in the Tanner Building at 109 Center Ave., and Harless and Hugh Coffee at 1003 Washington Ave.
Each business combined past grants with private funds to make noticeable improvements, says Kellie Rupp, Marketing Director for the Downtown Management Board.
The Tanner Building chose a simple update that strikes the eye from the street. The owners took down old, tattered awnings and replaced them with vibrant red awnings, adding a bold look to the vintage visage.
“Some things you look at every single day and don’t really realize, that just a smaller update like new awnings can make such a difference,” says Rupp.
Harless and Hugh Coffee spearheaded downtown development by investing on their own, approximately $50,000 for interior and exterior renovations. The interior underwent a complete facelift with new tables and chairs, a fresh coat of paint and a redesign of their front counter. The renovations continued to the back exterior of the coffee shop where Harless and Hugh added a scenic patio.
“You don’t even feel like you’re downtown, it’s like you are in your own little oasis,” says Rupp, referring to Harless and Hugh Coffee.
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After the renovations, the building looks refreshed, improving property values and boosting the local economy. (Photo courtesy of Downtown Bay City)Harless and Hugh Coffee was awarded $2,500 from the downtown Bay City façade improvement program, aiding in the installation of large glass windows that double as doors. The windows span the length of the coffee shop’s back wall, curved at the top in an arch to complement the architecture of the building.
Most of the renovations Harless and Hugh underwent were done so from the business owner’s own sweat and funds but shows how a little push creates a domino effect. Other businesses quickly followed suit and were looking for ways to fund their renovation ideas.
“What this program was designed to do, was incentivize property owners into getting the ball rolling, they start with the outside and then a lot of them move into the inside,” Rupp says. “They might only receive a small portion funded from us, but it’s like a snowball effect.”
Sometimes the snowball keeps rolling long enough to reach businesses that aren’t part of the program.
“G’s Pizzeria for example, they just re-did their entire front facade and they did not apply for the facade grant, and they still painted it gray and put new blue awnings on it.”
Not only do these renovations help the property owners and their businesses by encouraging more foot traffic and adding interest to the downtown area, but the updates also increase property values and pride in surrounding neighborhoods.
“There is a projected increase in property value, blight elimination, street front visibility, impact on the surrounding neighborhood, and local economic impact,” Rupp adds.
Applications for the 2023 program are due the last Monday of each month and will be reviewed monthly, beginning Aug. 23.
Applicants must own the property in Bay City’s Downtown Development Authority. The proposed improvements need to be permanent and on the exterior of the property. The property owner’s matching investment must be equal to or greater than the amount requested on the application.
For a complete breakdown of the required criteria or to apply,
click here.
“It’s a matching grant,” adds Rupp. “If they apply for $10,000 to improve the facade, they have to show us that they spent up to $20,000.”
In 2021 and 2022, the program distributed $25,000 in grant funds. This year, there will be $15,000 to share, making it slightly more competitive to win the grant.
However, the numbers indicate the grants are only the beginning for property owners in the downtown district.
“With the matching funds together in 2021 and 2022, the property owners still went above and beyond that to improve their facades. They have constructed over $420,000 in facade investments,” Rupp says.