Council agrees to explore retail-rehab grants and meet with Plaza owners; Retail Strategies to present plan

Town staff told the Fletcher Town Council they are exploring a retail-rehabilitation grant program and will reach out to property owners to test interest before drafting program guidelines.

The town manager reviewed a Carrollton, Texas, example in which redevelopment grants or matching funds were available for older retail sites, subject to eligibility rules and committee vetting before council approval. He said smaller-scale, matching grants could be considered for façade, signage, landscape or parking-lot improvements; staff would prefer to meet privately first with property owners to learn their plans and appetite for participation rather than immediately drafting a program.

The manager also said Retail Strategies, a consultant, will present a retail recruitment plan via Teams the next day and will provide a written plan for council review. "We'll get a written description of this recruitment plan, but they're gonna go over it on a Teams meeting tomorrow," he said.

Council members raised concerns about fairness and unintended displacement. One councilor noted that if leases increase after improvements owners may pass costs to tenants, potentially forcing out small businesses. Another argued that any grant program must use clear selection criteria to avoid appearing to favor a single business. Staff endorsed selection criteria and suggested any program should be open to eligible property owners along a corridor rather than tailored to one site.

Next steps: staff will attempt to meet with the Plaza shopping-center owners to discuss their plans and the town’s Town Center project, attend Retail Strategies’ presentation and return with recommended program guidelines only if property owners indicate interest.