City Hands Out $1.18 Million in Storefront Grants — Here’s Who Got Paid

Fresno has spent more than $1.18 million in federal pandemic money fixing up storefronts in two council districts. 53 businesses have gotten grants. Central Fish in Chinatown got new paint and a new sign. So did Cuca’s Restaurant, La Elegante Taqueria, El Molino Rojo, El Paso Furniture, and Dulceria Maggis, all of which received grants under the program.

The Fresno City Council approved the Small Business Façade Improvement Grant Program in 2023. It runs on American Rescue Plan Act funds — federal money sent to cities during COVID. The Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation administers it.

Businesses in Council Districts 1 and 4 can apply. A single storefront gets up to $20,000. Multiple storefronts get up to $50,000. The business has to put up a 25% match. The money pays for paint, windows, doors, signs, lights, masonry repair, and accessibility work.

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The city says 150 businesses have gotten technical assistance. Mayor Jerry Dyer has shown up for ribbon cuttings.

Morgan Doizaki owns Central Fish. He said the 10,000-square-foot building hadn’t been updated in decades. The grant paid for new paint, a new front sign, and parking-lot sign repairs. He said multiple nearby businesses improved their storefronts too, and it’s changing how people see Chinatown.

“I think, in the past, a certain stigma with this neighborhood existed and now people come here and are like ‘wow, this is not like what they say it is,'” Doizaki said.

The city partnered with the Chinatown Foundation, Southeast Fresno Community Economic Development Association, and Downtown Fresno Partnership to run the program.

The Breakdown

• The Fresno City Council approved this program in 2023 using federal American Rescue Plan Act money.
• It’s only available to businesses in Council Districts 1 and 4, plus Downtown, Chinatown, the Tower District, and the Airport District.
• Single storefronts get up to $20,000; multiple storefronts get up to $50,000. The business has to match 25% of whatever it gets.
• The money is a reimbursement grant — businesses pay first, then get paid back.
• 53 grants have been awarded so far, totaling more than $1.18 million.

What This Means for You

The City Council approved this program in 2023 to spend federal pandemic money on building improvements for businesses in Council Districts 1 and 4. If you live in Districts 2, 3, 5, 6, or 7, your business wasn’t eligible.

What to Watch

The sources don’t state how much federal pandemic money Fresno received in total, how much is left, or what else the Council spent it on. The program covers paint, signs, and accessibility work — all things a business owner benefits from directly.

A 25% match means the public is still covering 75% of the cost. The question worth asking: why is public money subsidizing improvements that increase a private business’s property value and customer appeal, rather than the business paying for that itself?

The choice to spend it on storefronts in two districts instead of somewhere else is a choice voters can weigh when those Council seats and the Mayor’s office are up again.