Over the last decade, more than 20 businesses in Soldotna have undergone building facade improvements. That’s because they’re recipients of the city’s Storefront Improvement Program, which aims to revitalize and beautify businesses within Soldotna’s commercial districts.
The program offers up to $7,500 to cover 50% of new improvements to windows, exterior lighting, canopies, landscaping and more.
“The intent here is just to boost traffic, increase property values and improve the overall look of the commercial district,” said Linda Mitchell, Soldotna's economic, development and planning director.
Mitchell says the grant program meets several of the city’s long-term planning goals, like redevelopment along highways and the Kenai River. She says it’s also a way to make Soldotna a travel destination.
“I see the value in these aesthetics on the exterior that creates [a space] to invite people in,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell says a more inviting exterior generates business inside, which can benefit the city’s economy. Genevieve Smithwick-Ailey is the building owner of Shops Around the Corner, which houses Kelsi’s Kloset and two other Soldotna businesses.
Smithwick-Ailey applied for the grant in 2014 after she purchased the building, which used to be a bar.
“To me, it was an encouragement to do a little more, to make it more special," Smithwick-Ailey said. "But also, it’s just nice to have a partnership with the city.”
She used the grant to create three storefronts, with new windows, doorway entrances, columns and raised panel trims. In 2021, a new shop was moving into the complex, so she applied for and received the grant again. She says buildings can receive funding more than once, as long as it's been five years.
As a landlord, Smithwick-Ailey likes that the program incentivizes beautification.
“Participation in this program is really a win-win, because we all benefit," Smithwick-Ailey said. "Locally, if we can improve our consumer experience, it’s beneficial to all of us that makes it a community that we’re proud to live in.”
And, some business owners say the grant has increased the number of customers who visit their stores. Kenda Blanning is the owner of Orange Poppy, a home furnishing store within the Shops Around the Corner complex. She says the 2021 renovations have increased business, especially in the summer.
“I would say that most people that are just driving by, they say what brought them in is just the building," Blanning said. "The look of the building brings them to pop in if they hadn’t heard of us.”
When tenants leave the complex for larger spaces, Smithwick-Ailey says finding new ones is a breeze.
“It’s easy to get another tenant in there because of the thought and the renovations, and all that has gone into the building,” Smithwick-Ailey said.
The deadline for businesses to submit an application for the city of Soldotna’s Storefront Improvement Program is Feb. 28. Applications will open again in June and September.
Smithwick-Ailey suggests including drawings, photographs and improvement estimates with your application.
