Storefront Improvement Program

The City of Portland is known nationally for its many attractive neighborhoods anchored by vital business hubs. But over the years, some key business corridors have lost their vitality.

As part of its commitment to community revitalization, city government has developed strategies to rebuild business districts and enhance surrounding neighborhoods. The Portland Development Commission (PDC) administers the Storefront Improvement Program, a major piece of the city's revitalization efforts.

Tice Industries

The Storefront Improvement Program provides cash grants and technical assistance to business and property owners in eligible neighborhoods. Recipients can use the support for a variety of improvements, ranging from repainting to purchase of new windows and awnings.

The Storefront Improvement Program has a notable track record. In neighborhoods across the city, the program has:

Helped new and established businesses attract customers
Leveraged private investment from current owners and inspired improvements to neighboring buildings
Enhanced the appearance and charm of commercial areas while building a safer street environment, and
Re-established pride in some of Portland's oldest and best-loved neighborhoods.

Read about it in Stories of the Storefront.

Storefront Program Materials

Since its inception in 1989, PDC has made 550 grants in 19 neighborhoods—ranging from outer Southeast Portland to St. Johns to sections of downtown. Those numbers are growing as businesses and residents learn about the value of storefront improvements to their neighborhoods.

You can quickly determine whether your property qualifies for Storefront Improvement Program benefits by searching for a specific address using our GIS Mapping tool, and then clicking on the Development link in the top navigation of the resulting query results window.

Storefront Target Areas—If you would like information about the Storefront program, pick a current target area listed below to learn more, or you can download a fact sheet for any of the target areas which includes a map with boundaries.