Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pompano Beach CRA outlines façade and site-improvement grants; board presses for broader Northwest outreach
Summary
CRA staff described façade and business-site improvement programs for the East and Northwest CRA districts: reimbursement structure, priority areas, eligibility and recent uptake; commissioners urged more field outreach and easier contractor payment options to boost Northwest participation.
Kimberly Vasquez, the CRA project core manager, presented the programs and eligibility rules for the Pompano Beach façade and business-site improvement grants at the July 15 meeting.
The program reimburses eligible commercial property or business owners for exterior improvements. Vasquez said approved applicants receive reimbursement for 80% of eligible improvements; the East maximum CRA contribution is $20,000 per storefront and the Northwest maximum is $50,000, with a $200,000 cap for a contiguous parcel such as a strip shopping center.
Vasquez described other program rules: applicants must be commercial (retail or restaurant), must meet program goals, and office buildings and nonprofits are ineligible. Security cameras as a standalone purchase do not qualify but may be part of a broader eligible project. The agreement term is 24 months; permits must be issued within six months, construction must begin within 12 months, and work must be completed in accordance with the scope. Vasquez said there is a two-year restrictive period after completion during which the property cannot be flipped without restriction.
"The program and the purpose and the use is the facade and business site improvement program encourages commercial business owners and or property owners to enhance the existing business sites through exterior improvements," Vasquez told the board. She added that to receive the East maximum the applicant must spend $25,000 or more, making them eligible for a $20,000 CRA contribution while the applicant supplies the remaining amount.
Vasquez reported program uptake to date: 51 storefront facades in the East (counted per storefront) and 20 in the Northwest. Commissioners noted that the Northwest district is much larger and suggested the program was underused there. Vice Mayor Fournier and other commissioners asked staff to increase outreach across Northwest corridors.
Commissioners and staff discussed barriers to participation. Vasquez said the CRA can pay contractors directly rather than rely solely on a reimbursement model and that the agency is currently paying contractors directly for one applicant. Evan Camejo, the full-time project coordinator, was identified as the staff point for outreach; staff said they publish a monthly newsletter and have used social media.
Commissioner Seagerston Eaton asked how many Northwest applications arrive each year; Vasquez said the Northwest had zero applicants in the most recent year and three in the prior year. Commissioner Smith suggested the upfront outlay deterred small businesses; Vasquez confirmed the CRA can pay contractors directly and said staff are using that option.
Board members suggested more proactive field outreach (drive-through visits, contacting churches and neighborhood groups) rather than relying solely on social media to reach small-business owners.
No board action was taken on the program at the meeting. Staff said application forms are available on the CRA website and that advisory committees review applications and forward recommendations to the CRA board for final approval.
