Carson staff outline $12 million facade program, propose revolving loan fund to spur commercial upgrades
Summary
City staff presented an expanded commercial facade improvement plan including a proposed revolving loan fund and a 100% city-funded East Carson Corridor initiative. No final budget action was taken; staff said specific loan terms and a midyear funding request would return to council for approval.
City staff on Nov. 5 outlined an expanded commercial facade improvement program that they said could transform multiple shopping centers and high-profile properties across Carson.
The presentation, delivered by James Quinn, special projects manager in the Community and Economic Development Department, described the citys existing facade grant program (adopted about 2—years earlier), the results of round one (six funded projects leveraging roughly a dollar-for-dollar match), and a proposed next phase that would include a revolving loan fund and a city-paid East Carson Corridor initiative.
Quinn said the city has reached out to 53 businesses since the programs inception, received a dozen applications and funded six projects to date. The proposed revolving loan fund would offer property owners larger-dollar loans for façade work, to be repaid and recycled for future projects; the staff presentation described options ranging from forgivable loans to low-interest or hybrid structures. Quinn also described an East Carson Corridor plan that would be 100% city-funded to help businesses that cannot provide matching funds; staff estimated roughly 12 properties and about 20 businesses across two blocks in that corridor would be included.
Quinn showed renderings of possible transformations, including a demonstration of how a prominent Walmart site could look following façade investment near Dignity Health Sports Park. Staff said that round-two projects could be before council as early as February and that they intended to return during the midyear budget process with funding requests. Quinns preliminary estimate for full implementation across the various proposals was up to $12,000,000; he described that as preliminary and subject to case-by-case review.
Assistant City Manager Robert Lennox and Director Nathan Freeman (newly introduced earlier in the meeting) both spoke in favor of the programs potential to attract investment. Lennox said staff were exploring how community benefit agreements or developer subsidies might be tapped to underwrite part of the program. Council members asked staff to consider protections for existing tenants whose businesses can suffer during construction, including potential short-term assistance or program design elements that limit hardship for current tenants.
No ordinance or budget appropriation was enacted Nov. 5. Staff said detailed loan terms, the bid results for the East Carson Corridor work, and a specific midyear budget request would be returned to council for formal action.
