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Council discusses $250,000 commercial improvement grant program timeline and priorities
Summary
City staff outlined a proposed third year of the Washington commercial building and property improvement grant program with $250,000 budgeted in tentative FY27 and a planned call for projects by the end of April; council discussed application windows, prioritization for locally owned and vacant properties, tiered matching, employee caps, and repeat‑applicant policies.
City staff described plans for a third round of the Washington commercial building and property improvement grant program during the April 13 Committee of the Whole meeting.
The tentative FY27 budget includes $250,000 for the program. Staff proposed a schedule with a call for projects by the end of April, application submittals by late June or early July, and council review in July so agreements could be considered for late July or early August. The aim is to allow some work to begin before the end of the construction season.
Council members asked whether applications should be collected in a timed window (for example, 60–90 days) rather than first‑come, first‑served, and discussed prioritization for locally owned businesses, vacant or underused properties, and tiered matching to help very small enterprises. Staff said the current guidelines include a 50‑employee eligibility cap but could be modified to include tiering or prioritization criteria; staff also noted the program had not yet seen repeat award winners in the first two years.
Next steps: staff will proceed with the planned call for projects and bring the program back to council with any proposed modifications to prioritization or matching rules.
