Governor McKee, Commerce Secretary Tanner Highlight Proposed Team Rhode Island Budget Investments in Rhode Island Main Streets, Announce Applications Now Open For a New Round of Grant Funding Published on Thursday, January 25, 2024 CRANSTON, RI – Governor Dan McKee and Commerce Secretary Liz Tanner today announced that applications for a new round of funding for the state’s Main Street Improvement and Site Readiness programs are now open. “Main Streets are at the heart of our communities and are critical to the economic success of our cities and towns,” said Governor Dan McKee. “These investments not only help keep our business districts thriving, but they also create good-paying jobs in the process. I urge communities to apply for this new round of funding and urge the General Assembly to continue their support for these programs.” The Governor has proposed an additional $1M for each of these programs in his FY25 budget proposal. “When we invest in Rhode Island’s infrastructure, we lay the foundation for long-term economic success,” said Commerce Secretary Liz Tanner. “I am grateful to Governor McKee for his continued support of these programs which we know are helping catalyze growth, development, and economic opportunity across the state.” The Main Street RI Streetscape Improvement Fund awards grants on a competitive basis to municipalities and/or economic development agencies for improvements to commercial districts, such as enhanced sidewalks, new street furniture, new way-finding signage, upgraded building facades, and improved street lighting. Eligible projects must be located in an area that is walkable and attracts residents and visitors. This year, the program was expanded to allow funds to be used for technical assistance to support future physical improvements to streetscape projects. This includes support in areas such as project planning, engineering, design, and environmental assessment. The Site Readiness Program partners with municipalities and/or developers to fund municipal technical assistance and site-specific planning and improvements. Eligible projects include but are not limited to: property surveys, engineering surveys, environmental studies, site clearing or demolition, infrastructure improvements, and/or assistance writing zoning ordinances. Main Street awards are generally expected to range from $25,000 to $500,000 based on eligibility and project impact. More than $4.3M is available to support eligible Main Street projects. Site Readiness grants are expected to range at up to $125,000 for commercial and industrial projects and up to $75,000 for residential projects. More than $1.4M is available to support eligible Site Readiness projects. Applications for both programs open January 25, 2024, and close Friday, April 19, 2024, at 5:00 pm. Applications and additional details can be found at https://commerceri.com/site-readiness [r20.rs6.net] and https://commerceri.com/incentives/main-street-ri-streetscape-improvement-fund/ [r20.rs6.net]. For questions about the grant programs, please email SiteReadiness@CommerceRI.com or MainStreet@CommerceRI.com. ###