PAWTUCKET – The city has awarded a series of small-business grants and loans to local entrepreneurs and retail establishments who plan to improve their facades and create a more-welcoming street presence.
Mayor Donald R. Grebien, who announced the grants in mid-May, said the city needs to support small business, including through small grants for storefront improvements.
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The businesses could request up to $2,000 for materials for small improvements, under the grant program. For larger projects, the city offered loans for half of the total project up to $30,000, to be repaid within five years.
Several businesses took advantage of the small grant. They included: Breathing Time Yoga, 541 Pawtucket Ave., which plans a new sign, lights and bike racks; Creative Commercial Center, 881 Main St., which plans new window banners; Untapped Games, at 545 Pawtucket Ave., which plans to purchase a new sign and bike racks; Hanna’s Color Center, at 470 Central Ave., which plans a new sign; Chatterton Insurance, at 150 Main St., which plans a new sign; Hair Connection, at 573 Armistice Blvd., which will install a new awning; and the Grant Building, at 250 Main St., which will install a new door and glass.
Kyla Coburn Design, a design-build firm that specializes in historical spaces, is planning to renovate a historical church at 222 High St. and will convert it to space for six artists with live/work apartments and a common area to display their work. The business received a $30,000 loan to help cover the cost of energy-efficient windows, roof repairs, a second-story deck and exterior planters.
Mary MacDonald is a PBN staff writer.
