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Hutchinson proposes facade-improvement matching grants up to $10,000 to target blight along arterial streets
Summary
City staff introduced a draft commercial facade improvement program proposing 50% matching grants up to $10,000 for businesses on arterial streets south of and including Eleventh Avenue, with an initial funding request of $150,000 and planning-commission review of applications.
Matt Williams, Hutchinson’s director of community development, introduced a draft commercial facade improvement program at the Feb. 4 City Council meeting and said staff will ask the council to consider the program during the 2026 budget process.
“The goal of the program is to encourage local businesses to improve their building facades, thereby reducing blight and increasing the community’s aesthetics,” Williams said. He said the proposed program is modeled in part on programs in Derby and Salina and would operate as a matching grant, with the city covering up to 50% of eligible improvement costs and grants capped at $10,000.
Williams said staff would seek $150,000 in initial funding for the program. Eligibility in the draft is limited to commercial properties located on arterial streets south of and including Eleventh Avenue in Hutchinson. Under the proposal, business applicants would submit applications to city staff; staff would review them and forward recommendations to the planning commission, which would review and make grant awards.
Council members asked clarifying questions about program scope and administration. Williams said criteria for selecting projects would include addressing existing code violations, condition of the building façade, likelihood that the project would be completed, and alignment with city plans. He also said Hutchinson has had a similar program in the past and that Derby’s program began in 2019 and was funded at around $150,000–$200,000 over multiple years.
Council members expressed general support. No formal action was taken; Williams presented the draft as a starting point for further conversation and indicated the council will consider the program during the 2026 funding and budget process.
If council directs staff to include the program in the budget, next steps would include finalizing eligibility and selection criteria, establishing a grant application process, and identifying a funding source in the 2026 budget.
