In attempt to beautify and activate spaces downtown, the Downtown Long Beach Associates have announced two grants that will award thousands of dollars to one or multiple proposals.

Each grant, with one geared towards storefront activation and another for capital improvements, will be open to any community group with the district boundary or any outside groups that partner with downtown stakeholders.

The former will award up to $30,000 to storefront activation projects that include temporary art installations in empty storefronts that aesthetically compliment the space until an business owner occupies the space. The latter will award anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 for capital improvement projects that focus on and enhance public safety, accessibility and beautification of streetscapes and neighborhoods.

While the CIP Task Force, responsible for viewing and scoring the proposals, will not limit or specify some areas over others, Julie Korinke, Communications Manager for the DLBA, emphasizes that “proposals that exercise great fiscal forethought and invite partnerships while promoting creativity and take advantage of more visible locations will undoubtedly achieve higher scores.”

Initial applications are due March 11 at 5:00PM; finalists will then be invited to continue to a second round of applications. For more information, call (562) 436-4259 or click here.