Small businesses now eligible for Storefront Revitalization Program

By Bee Group Newspapers | on April 21, 2022

Frank J. Todaro

ERIE COUNTY LEGISLATOR

Hello, everyone! I hope you and your loved ones had an enjoyable Easter Sunday. It has been great to spend our holidays in person with family this year, and that is not something to take for granted.

For this month’s column, I’d like to update you on a few things happening around Old County Hall.

Most important, I’d like to remind readers that Erie County is offering a Small Business Storefront Revitalization Program. I voted to approve the program a few weeks ago and while details are still being finalized, I encourage every business owner in our community to be on the lookout for an application. The $10 million program will provide grants up to $40,000 to approximately 250 eligible small businesses throughout Erie County.

Our approval gave the green light to the administration to hire a firm to manage the program, which will hire architects and construction companies to design and complete the work at selected businesses. If selected, a qualifying business would receive façade upgrades, and the design and construction costs would be funded by the county through the grant program.

This will help businesses enhance their curb appeal and attract more customers, which would be especially beneficial after emerging from the pandemic. As soon as the applications are available, I will share that information with the local papers and on my Facebook page. In the meantime, if you own a business in our community and are interested in applying, feel free to contact my office, and we will make sure we email you an application directly once they become available. I believe this funding is important and would like to see it utilized throughout our community.

In other news at the Erie County Legislature, we will soon be voting on the Bills’ stadium agreement. Leading up to the Sept. 1 deadline, we have a lot to discuss. However, I am very pleased that this deal does not come with a tax increase for Erie County residents. We do not have any committee meetings scheduled yet regarding the stadium, but when those discussions take place, I will be sure to provide you with an update.

As always, if you have questions, comments, or concerns regarding a county-related issue, please contact my office at Frank.Todaro@erie.gov or by phone at 716- 681-2071. You can also follow me on Facebook at Legislator Frank Todaro.