The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation is seeking for start-ups and existing businesses for its “Business Improvement & Growth (BIG)” Program. These entities should be looking to relocate or expand in Brownsville’s Historic Downtown.
Through the BIG Program, businesses and property owners can receive financial assistance for exterior and interior capital improvements. This includes signage improvements. They can also receive rent subsidy assistance for projects intended to create jobs and increase sales tax revenue. The grant addresses needs and challenges that the business community faces when considering downtown as their preferred business location.
The program currently has funding available for the next three years. The BCIC is looking to exhaust these funds rapidly as an increase in interest for downtown development is more evident.
Applications are online at bcic.us/funding.
“Many entrepreneurs have established the necessary trust with BCIC to voice their concerns and challenges when it comes to establishing a business in Downtown Brownsville,” says Interim-Executive Director for BCIC, Josh Mejia. “Many of these challenges are directly related with the required expenditures to simply get buildings up-to-code — especially when considering utilizing vacant second floor spaces that are found in many buildings downtown.”
In the past fifteen years, Brownsville’s Historic Downtown has embarked on an endeavor towards redevelopment. Assisting in this is BCIC’s monetary investment of more than $800,000. With the investment, a new wave of businesses have established themselves in Brownsville’s downtown. This has sparked a renowned interest for private investment.
“The program will be directly managed by BCIC, which will allow potential applicants to have a direct line of communication with staff to ensure projects are running smoothly and in a timely manner,” says Mejia.