Community grant program in King looks to brighten streets

yorkregion.com
Aug. 29, 2017
By Simon Martin

It’s been close to three years since King Township introduced the Community Improvement Program in Schomberg, Nobleton, and King City. The goal was to improve the public spaces and streetscapes.

King’s Economic Development Officer Jamie Smyth told council Aug. 28 that so far, program grants have been doled out to nine businesses around the town, totalling just under $82,000.

“We have been [seeing] some progress,” Smyth said.

Places like Grackle Coffee and North Flow Yoga are just a few of the local businesses that have taken advantage of the grant program.

“Thanks to the facade signage approvement grant, Kid’s Country was able to get a brand new sign,” Emily Fiorentino said.

“Thanks to the grant program, we were able to convert this heritage home into the Roost Cafe,” Alison Mumford said.

Of the nine grants the town has doled out through the program, five have gone to businesses in King City, and two to businesses in Nobleton and Schomberg respectively.

Five out of the nine properties were new businesses to King and three businesses have taken a phased approach over multiple years, which was the intent of the program, Smyth said.

Through a grant program such as this, the township is getting good value for the dollar, Smyth said. For every dollar the township puts in, owners have invested $18.50.

“I’m a big fan of this program and trying to promote,” Ward 2 Councillor David Boyd said.  That sentiment was echoed by Ward 6 Councillor Avia Eek.

“We are very pro-business in King,” Mayor Steve Pellegrini said.

The different grants available through the program are the landscaping grant, the building accessibility grant, the facade and signage improvement grant, the motor vehicle and bicycle parking grant, and the property conversion and reuse grant.

Through the various grants, the township offers to pay up to 50 per cent of various expenditures ranging from $3,000 to $10,000.

The intent of the program is to get property owners to invest in their properties through offering various financial incentives to make the village cores in King new and improved.