Committee moves downtown storefronts and facade maintenance onto 2025 work plan

The Parks and Built Environment Committee discussed downtown storefront vacancies and facade maintenance at its Feb. 12 meeting and agreed to include the issue on the committee's 2025 policy work plan.

Committee members reviewed the city code that governs vacant commercial space in the Central Business District (Chapter 16.16) and noted overlapping building code provisions in Chapter 19 that address window transparency and exterior maintenance. Staff and councilmembers described recent local efforts to encourage active, transparent storefronts and to improve appearances on Hewitt Avenue and other downtown blocks. Committee members also described the Downtown Everett Association's storefront enhancement grant program and said it has helped several businesses with awnings and other improvements.

Why it matters: committee members said better storefront…