BROWNSVILLE, TX – Today, The Board of Directors for the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) approved the recommendations to fund three applicants in the second round of the Business Improvement and Growth (“BIG”) Program 2.0.
With funding provided by the Musk Foundation, this latest round of assistance from the BIG 2.0 program totals $370,000 of grant funding with private capital investments totaling $1,214,400 in new downtown projects.
Second Round 2021 applications:
“Our end goal is to see downtown thrive. Our downtown has great potential for businesses to flourish and be successful,” said Cori Pena, BCIC Director of Community Development. “The time is now to make things happen for our beautiful city, specifically in downtown.”
The BIG Program 2.0 offers three different financial reimbursement grants to businesses, property owners, and developers that want to expand their existing operations, relocate, activate buildings (“site readiness”), or support the diversification of downtown’s experience through quality-of-life improvements such as entertainment and cultural venues within the district.
“Our downtown is the largest and most unique in the valley. There are so many investment opportunities that owners and businesses can tap into,” says Pena. “While we want to maintain this vital part of our community, we also want to establish an attainable avenue for property owners and businesses to play a role in downtown’s revitalization efforts.
The recently awarded grants remain pending until a legal performance agreement between BCIC and each applicant is finalized. BCIC is currently accepting applications for the third round and possible last round of BIG 2.0 grants.
The deadline to submit those applications is Monday, October 11, 2021 at 3 p.m. CST. For more information regarding the program’s guidelines, requirements, and updates regarding awarded applications, visit www.BrownsvilleEDC.org/big-grants.
For more information about this press release, please contact Michelle Lopez, Director of Development and Communications at mlopez@bcic.us.
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