FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Mayor Catherine Read joined Fairfax City business leaders on the porch of Hammrock’s Restaurant in Old Town on Thursday morning to celebrate 20 city businesses who benefited from the Façade and Interior Improvement Grant program.
“This program beautifies our city, supports local businesses and incentivizes private investment in our properties,” said Christopher Bruno, the president and CEO of Fairfax City Economic Development. “Most importantly, this program has a tangible impact that people and businesses can see in this community.”
City businesses that wish to refurbish or improve the exterior or interior of their buildings, shops or offices can apply for an FCFI grant. If the business’ application is approved, the program will reimburse 50 percent of the cost of the improvements up to $20,000.
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
“As people spend more time in Fairfax, programs like FCFI contribute to the quality of life for our businesses, visitors and residents,” Bruno said. “In many cases, this represents the needed nudge for businesses to make the decision to enter our city to stay in the city and to grow in our city.”
With the support of the Economic Development Authority, the Fairfax City Council approved $300,000 in funding for the program. Nathan Hamburg, assistant manager at Games & Comics Pair O’Dice, told Patch on Thursday that the business was able to renovate both of the connected storefronts it occupies on Main Street in Old Town.
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
“We really elevated our space,” he said. “We got down new flooring. We replaced tile in the bathroom and got some of new fixtures. We just made the space a lot more bright, open and pleasant to be in. A lot of our customers have really enjoyed the change.”
About 10 years ago, Cameron’s Coffee & Chocolates started out as a coffee and chocolate shop in the Fairfax Circle Shopping Center with a mission to employ individuals with intellectual disabilities.
“The helped us remodel our customer bathroom, which was pretty critical at this point,” owner Ellen Graham said of the shop’s FCFI grant. “We gave the inside a painting. We put up some murals. We put up some other things. We have a meeting room for our customers, and they kind of helped us refresh that. So, we have a new book, thanks to the city.”
Read told the handful of people who gathered for Thursday’s ceremony that 20 amazing businesses had already taken advantage of the program to help them reinvest in theirs operations within the city.
“If you invest, we invest,” she said. “This is. how a partnership between businesses and the city should work.”
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
Click Here: cheap soccer jersey