Downtown Duluth is offering an improvement grant up to $3,500 PLUS (3) hours of professional consulting services for ground-floor, sidewalk-facing businesses.

The program can offset the costs of: painting storefronts, improving window appearance, introducing transparency, increasing quality of merchandising, adding exterior lighting, enhancing signage with lighting, and improving sidewalk spaces (such as sidewalk cafés). This program is intended to assist ground-floor businesses with the creation of storefront experiences that bring customers in the door, improve overall district brand, and foster a 24/7 environment that is light and engaging. This program is open to businesses within the boundaries of the waterfront district: from Canal Park up to Second Street and from 10th Ave East to Mesaba Avenue. Any ground floor business is eligible to apply. 

We would strongly encourage membership with Downtown Duluth should you be selected, to continue networking and receiving valuable information and tools on revitalizing our downtown.

Downtown Duluth has created the Storefront Improvement Program to further our revitalization goals. These goals include: 

• Drive traffic to individual businesses by showcasing what they do in the windows or making the storefront stand out. 
• Introduce transparency downtown, blurring the line between interior/exterior. When you are outside you can see inside, and when you are inside, you can be a part of the sidewalk.
• Improve the experience of being downtown 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 
• Create an engaging environment from the sidewalk using light, color, props, fixtures, and merchandise. 
• Make downtown feel more active and visually engaging. 
• Recover a higher perception of safety downtown. 
• Offer seating or activate adjoining open spaces to foster more engagement. 

This application is required for consideration to receive a reimbursement grant as a part of Downtown Duluth’s Storefront Improvement Program. This program uses a competitive selection process that scores applications based on criteria detailed in the Guidelines and Requirements section of this application.