Business owners on busy Northgate Boulevard can get city cash to give storefronts a face lift

Northgate Boulevard’s small businesses can apply for grants to spruce up their storefronts to potentially bring more business to the area.

The $200,000 in funding is part of $5 million in American Rescue Fund Act money originally earmarked for the 2.5-mile stretch and secured by Sacramento Mayor pro tem Karina Talamantes, who represents South Natomas on the Sacramento City Council.

The Northgate Boulevard Storefront Improvement Grant Program provides up to $15,000 for small business owners to complete exterior improvements such as new paint, signage, lighting, windows, doors, or awnings to revitalize business frontage and attract more people to the corridor.

Apply for the grant program online. Information on the program is available in English and in Spanish. Applications are due by 4 p.m. local time, Aug. 16.

Virtual and in-person information sessions are also scheduled:

▪ A virtual session via Zoom is set for 1 p.m., June 26. The session will be broadcast in English and Spanish and the city will publish a video recording of the meeting on the grant program website. Register for the Zoom session at this link.

▪ An in-person information session will be 7 p.m., July 10, at Stanford Settlement Neighborhood Center, 450 W. El Camino Ave., Sacramento. Register for the July 10 session at this link.

Doors will open for weekly in-person office hours at the center, 450 W. El Camino Ave., 9 a.m.-11 a.m., Fridays from July 19 through Aug. 16. Appointments can be made online, though walk-ins are accepted.

More than 850 people work in the more than 150 small businesses and restaurants that line the boulevard, but the bustling stretch still sits under the radar, its workaday roots overshadowed by Sacramento’s more high-profile retail districts.

“I am thrilled to be making such an important and exciting investment in the Northgate Corridor, one of the best kept secrets in Sacramento,” Talamantes said.

Talamantes, in a statement, said efforts like the facade improvement program plan to change that. Investing more money into storefronts and increasing safety, she said, will create a ripple effect.

“It will support the retention and growth of existing businesses, deter vacancies, and spur new investment,” Talamantes said. “Our goal is to attract more visitors to come shop and dine on in our vibrant hub that reflects the heart and soul of South Natomas.”