DIA's Retail Enhancement Program bringing jobs and investment to Downtown

[thelakelander]

By Max Marbut, Staff Writer

Capital investment of $3 million, 110 new jobs and 30,000 square feet of previously empty Downtown retail space to be occupied by employees and patrons.
Numbers like those could be called a good yield for a $544,185 investment of public funds from the first year of the Downtown Investment Authority's Retail Enhancement Grant program.

"We've helped small-business owners and improved the experience for people who work, live and visit Downtown," said Jim Bailey, chair of the authority's board and publisher of the Daily Record.

To date, the program has awarded money to 10 businesses, leaving nearly $206,000 of the initial $750,000 pool still available.

Of the 10 businesses awarded grants since February, six have completed renovations and four are in progress.

The program is designed to recruit and retain restaurant and retail businesses in the Northbank core retail enhancement area, south of Church Street between Julia and Market streets.

Full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=546617

[tufsu1]

^ DVI just put out a request today for proposals for developing a parklet program.  For information on what that is, check out San Francisco's program - it is one of the best in the country.

http://www.sfdpw.org/index.aspx?page=1408

http://pavementtoparks.sfplanning.org/parklets.html

[CCMjax]

^ DVI just put out a request today for proposals for developing a parklet program.  For information on what that is, check out San Francisco's program - it is one of the best in the country.

http://www.sfdpw.org/index.aspx?page=1408

http://pavementtoparks.sfplanning.org/parklets.html

Cool idea.