HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council Tuesday night heard a presentation on a proposed Commercial Facade Improvement Program. Community Development Director Matthew Williams said the purpose of the program is to encourage local businesses to improve their building facades and reduce blight and increase community aesthetics.
Similar programs are being offered in other communities around the county including several in Kansas. The proposed Hutchinson program is modeled after similar programs in Derby and Salina.
As proposed, this would be a matching grant program, where the city would reimburse up to half of the cost of improvements up to a maximum match of $10,000. It would target arterial streets along and south of 11th Avenue.
Applications for the program would be reviewed by the Hutchinson Planning Commission. Williams said staff will be recommending a three-year allocation totaling $150,000 be included in the city’s 2026 budget.
