Keeping up appearances with downtown businesses

The Downtown Façade Grant is offered by Experience Chehalis, a Main Street community. This program is offered to downtown businesses and property owners who desire to make improvements to the façade of their buildings. Experience Chehalis works to promote revitalization and offers technical and financial assistance to ensure our historical buildings and district are preserved, maintained, and rehabilitated properly.

The façade program is handled by our Economic Vitality Committee, whose role is to enhance the look and feel of the commercial district. Historic building rehabilitation, signage, and lighting all improve the physical image of the downtown as a quality place to shop, work, walk, invest in, and live. Improvements result in the reinvestment of public and private dollars downtown.

The grants are intended to help downtown businesses and property owners improve the fronts of their buildings. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, we increased our 50% match to 75% up to $2,500 per business or property for approved improvement costs. Applications will be accepted for as long as funding is available each year. Grant awards will be first-come, first-served, and based on available funding. Work done prior to the grant award is not eligible for grant funding. We are now accepting grant applications from past recipients after 18 months have passed since the last grant project was accomplished. Applications will be reviewed by Experience Chehalis.

Download the application