Storefront Improvements

Across the city, improvements to storefronts are making businesses and districts more attractive and inviting and, in turn, attracting new customers and businesses. Business owners often see an increase in sales. Storefront improvements also help landlords rent their vacant or difficult-to-rent properties.

ReStore Boston helps complete storefront renovations with projects ranging from the simple, such as new signage, to the more complex, such as complete reconstruction. Improvements may include:

  • Restoration of exterior finishes/materials

  • Repair or replacement of storefront windows and/or doors

  • New signage

  • Building and sign lighting

  • Removal of roll-down grills

  • Installation of awnings

As a condition of the funding requirements, all projects are required to remove solid, roll-down security grates or, at a minimum, convert them to the interior open-mesh type.

How Does ReStore Boston Work?

Restore Boston provides matching grants (up to $7,500 per storefront) to help neighborhood business and property owners complete storefront renovation projects. All loans and grants must meet eligibility criteria. A separate signage component ($2,000 grants) provides assistance on a non-matching basis for signage improvements. In addition to funding, ReStore Boston provides professional architectural design services at no cost to the business to ensure improvements are well planned and of the highest quality.

Getting Started

To apply to the ReStore Boston program, a building or business owner submits an application to the Office of Economic Development (OED). Once the selection committee has determined eligibility, the building or business owner meets with project management and design staff who will help the owner decide what physical improvements he or she would like to make.

The OED is Boston’s go-to resource for small businesses. OED provides businesses and neighborhood commercial districts access to a range of financial and technical resources in order to start or grow.

To learn more about ReStore Boston and how we can potentially help you improve your storefront, call or email WRMS today.