Westfield Council Approves Facade Improvement Funding

(Image of downtown Westfield courtesy of the city of Westfield.)

Listen to this story

Subscriber Benefit

As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now

This audio file is brought to you by

0:00

0:00

Loading audio file, please wait.

Speed
1.00

• 0.25
• 0.50
• 0.75
• 1.00
• 1.25
• 1.50
• 1.75
• 2.00

The Westfield City Council has approved funding to continue the city’s façade improvement program. The initiative provides businesses in downtown Westfield financial assistance in an effort to enhance the overall quality of life in the community.

The council approved an additional $6,627 for the program, which launched in 2011. The city says business owners within the designated boundaries can apply for a grant to cover up to 50 percent of eligible expenses with a maximum of $5,000. Expenses covered by the grant include the repair or renovation of the building’s exterior, masonry repair, exterior painting and exterior lighting, among others.

"We’ve seen a lot of success with our local business community through this program," said Council President Jim Ake. "Providing this additional available funding will allow us to continue to assist businesses that want to invest in Westfield."

Since its launch, the program has funded 14 projects for local businesses with the total investment growing to more than $165,000.