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Grant proposals and zoning changes to encourage dining and activation remain on hold pending council direction
Summary
Staff told the board that proposed grants for commercial kitchens, façade improvements and pop‑up activations are currently on hold after city council provided no direction; staff plans a council workshop in November to refine the proposals and consider incentives tied to zoning changes passed this month.
The board discussed several programmatic options aimed at encouraging more restaurants and evening activation downtown, including grants for commercial kitchens, façade improvements and funding for pop‑up activations. Colette said the items are paused until city council provides clearer direction.
"The proposal was, business grants, 1 for commercial kitchens, 2 for facade improvements, and 3 for pop up and activations downtown," staff said, noting that the items are currently on hold and that a council workshop could be scheduled in November or early next year to obtain refined direction. Board members suggested outreach tactics (one‑pagers, business walks) to help businesses understand changes in zoning and grant availability.
Members noted underused commercial kitchens downtown but raised legal and capacity constraints for shared‑use arrangements; staff said some kitchens are not robust enough for large operations and that legal issues have previously impeded shared‑use models.
