The Camden Business Façade Improvement Program has been up and running for almost two years, and helped nearly a dozen business owners finance the reconstruction and rehabilitation of their facades with $25,000 grants. In the next few weeks, the program is getting a big push across the city -- an additional 40 to 50 storefronts are expected to undergo renovations in the next calendar year.
"Expect to see a lot of dramatic changes in Camden," says Vince Basara, coordinator of the Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) program in Camden. "The most noticeable improvements will happen on the 200 block of Market Street in Downtown Camden."
That stretch -- just a few short blocks from Flying Kite's
On the Ground space -- is almost entirely owned by a single entity, making it easier to move forward. Basara expects to start the renovation process in the next two weeks
The program benefits UEZ business members who have participated in the city's energy-efficiency retrofit program,
Camden POWER (Program Offering Widespread Energy Recovery), for commercial buildings. Most properties taking part in the program are along commercial corridors, though neighborhood and corner stores throughout the city will also be improved.
Grantees have already installed new roofs and awnings, completed brick and masonry repair, replaced windows, improved signage, and added other historically sensitive treatments that conform to overlying design standards for the neighborhood.
"So far, there's been a lot of positive reaction to the completed storefront's improvements," says Basara. "With so many other storefronts in the pipeline, we’re expecting to make a big difference [over the coming year]."
Source: Vince Basara, Urban Enterprize Zone Program Coordinator, City of Camden
Writer:
Greg Meckstroth