Fort St. John council supports applying for 2024 Downtown Façade Program

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The City of Fort St. John has approved the application for the 2024 Business Façade Improvement Grant from Northern Development Initiative Trust. 

Council also approved an additional $20,000 in matching funds provided by the Mayor’s Standing Committee on Community Economic Recovery’s account.

The funds will be used to advance the Downtown Action Plan and façade improvements.

The program allows local businesses to apply for grants that improve their building’s physical appearance and character.

The grant can be used for façades, murals, siding, lighting, awnings, and architectural features.

The City of Fort St. John will launch the application process on March 4th, 2024, with a deadline of April 30th, 2024. The projects must be completed by December 31st, 2024.

Projects must have a minimum cost of $1,000. Individual buildings are entitled to a one-time grant of up to $5,000, except for facilities located on corners, which are entitled to up to $10,000. 

A change for 2024 is extending the grant funding area from only the downtown permit area to the general commercial development permit area and the major corridor development permit area.

Multiple businesses completed projects through the grant in 2023, including Thelma and Marcella’s, the Salvation Army and Merwin Optical.

More information on the 2024 Downtown Façade Program can be found below: