Façade Grant program started in Gulfport

The Mississippi Power Foundation and Gulfport Main Street announced the creation of a Façade Grant Master Plan Program on Monday afternoon at Gulfport City Hall.

The program will focus on proverbial “face lifts” enhancing the overall appearance of the city’s Innovation and Quarters districts to improve existing commercial businesses and attract potential investors.

“This Façade Grant Master Plan will support local entrepreneurs looking to enhance their brand and grow their businesses,” said Mississippi Power Vice President of External Affairs and Shared Services Billy Thornton. “We’re excited to partner with Gulfport Main Street and look forward to the ideas these grants will spark in downtown Gulfport."

The Mississippi Power Foundation has provided similar grants in Picayune and Laurel with business owners in those towns reporting great results.

Successful applicants will be eligible for a grant for up to half of a project’s cost. Examples of projects that would be eligible for this grant include a new sign, a fresh coat of paint, a new entrance and more.

“We’re excited, proud and honored to be a part of this program,” Community Development and Corporate Giving Manager Steven Dick said. “There’s no doubt that we’ll see the impact of these grants in downtown Gulfport very soon.”

The Façade Grant Master Plan program is an important initiative to assist the private sector in pursuing renovation and improvements benefiting the city’s overall business climate. The program will award grants on a competitive basis, with priority for applications proposing projects that help the applicant business grow and use local vendors.

 “Our Gulfport Main Street vision for this Façade Grant Master Plan Program looks to spark renewed interest in these important districts within our community by helping businesses already operating in those areas and foster new business development,” said Gulfport Main Street Executive Director Laurie Toups. “We encourage private development and work to bridge financial gaps to cover costs for improvements and bring about additional aesthetic rehabilitation that helps our local economy grow.”

The Innovation and Quarter districts located northwest of central downtown and north of the railroad tracks, in Gulfport already have many features key to becoming major destinations for business and specialty retail as well as Gulf Coast residential living.

Now in its 97th year of operations, Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and affordable energy for nearly 191,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power recently was a recipient of the Community Partner Impact Award from the Center for Energy Workforce Development for its innovative and ongoing efforts to build a diverse workforce. With nearly 160 megawatts of approved solar energy capacity, Mississippi Power is the largest partner in providing renewable energy in the state of Mississippi. Visit our websites at mississippipower.com and mississippipowernews.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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