Upgrades planned for Court Place Plaza, facades in downtown St. Joseph
ST. JOSEPH, Mich. (WNDU) – The City of St. Joseph and partners are launching two programs to help upgrade Court Place Plaza and local businesses in the area.
The initial concepts discussed for Court Place Plaza’s upgrades call for public seating, overhead lighting, bike racks and public art, with the goal of an active, programmed space. The upgrades are now included in the Public Spaces Community Places crowdfunding programme. They are part of the original 2020 Downtown Vision Master Plan, which you can find by clicking here.
The Facade Improvement Program is a $10,000 refund to downtown businesses that want to improve their storefronts. To apply for the grant, you can click here.
Cornerstone Alliance Press Release:
Significant upgrades to Court Place Plaza and an optional renovation program for downtown St. Joseph business facades are key elements in economic development initiatives for placemaking in a partnership between the City of St. Joseph, the St. Joseph Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Cornerstone Alliance.
The initial concepts discussed for Court Place Plaza’s upgrades call for public seating, overhead lighting, bike racks and public art, with the goal of an active, programmed space. Upgrades are backed by a partnership budget of $75,000. As one of Cornerstone’s multiple citywide initiatives to create more attractive downtown public spaces, this project aims to participate in the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Public Spaces Community Places crowdfunding program, paving the way for a raising an additional $50,000 and creating a potential total budget. of more than $125,000
“During the development of our 2020 Downtown Vision Master Plan, the community said it was important to connect our east of Main Street businesses, institutions and neighbors to the rest of downtown,” said St. Joseph Mayor, Laura Goos, said. “This project transforms an underutilized plaza into a neighborhood amenity for programs, activities and events. It will be a pleasant place for residents and visitors to gather.”
If you are interested in contributing space design and programming ideas for the Plaza, sign up here to be notified of opportunities to share your ideas.
This project comes on the heels of the recently completed crowdfunding campaign supporting the creation of a pocket park in Watervliet and an alley activation concept in Benton Harbor, as part of Cornerstone Alliance’s increased focus on placemaking in Berrien County.
The facade improvement program for downtown businesses, which is also funded by the City of St. Joseph, DDA and Cornerstone Alliance, aims to transform downtown St. Preserve Joseph’s unique character and sense of place, prepare vacant spaces to make them more attractive to prospective tenants, finance improvements to existing business and drive additional sales.
“Employers and employees are increasingly making location decisions based on community amenities. People want to live in great places, and choose savvy businesses to locate and expand in places where they can attract talent,” said Andrew Haan, LPM, vice president of business development, Cornerstone Alliance. “Public spaces where people can gather with friends and neighbors are a critical component of an attractive business location.”
Businesses and property owners within the DDA boundary (shown below) will be eligible to receive up to $10,000 in one-to-one matching dollars as compensation for approved upgrades to the facades of their buildings.
“We are committed to making downtown a more attractive, welcoming, pleasant environment for our residents and patrons,” said St. Joseph City Manager, John Hodgson. “We appreciate Cornerstone Alliance’s expertise, leadership and partnership in developing this proposal, and we will actively encourage and support businesses as they consider, plan and implement improvements that benefit their businesses, their buildings and our community.”
Guidelines and application materials for the facade improvement program will be available on February 15. Applications can be submitted for approval from March 15. Cornerstone Alliance and the City of St. Joseph will conduct workshops to help property owners fully access the facade program. For an application and updates on workshop times and locations, sign up here.
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