Select commercial businesses in Missouri City will soon be able to apply for up to $200,000 to fund exterior improvements.

Known as the Texas Parkway/Cartwright Road Facade Improvement Program, the program will reimburse commercial businesses for up to 75% of upgrades and renovations they undertake that “substantially improve the exterior of their buildings along the corridor,” according to city documents.

City Council allocated $1.5 million for development and redevelopment along the Texas Parkway/Cartwright Road Corridor in the fiscal year 2021-22 budget, said Aubrey Nettles, executive director of economic development.

Of that funding, Nettles said the newly appointed Texas Parkway/Cartwright Road Corridor Advisory Committee recommends $1 million be allocated for this program. Additionally, $208,000 of Community Development Block Grant funds are available for the program.

Nettles said in all they are planning to assist five to six businesses with this initial funding.

“The Texas Parkway/Cartwright Road corridor is a priority corridor for both council members and the community alike,” Nettles said during the Oct. 18 City Council meeting. “As the epicenter of growth for Missouri City has continued to move to Hwy. 6 and toward the Fort Bend Tollway, council has recognized the need to focus efforts on encouraging redevelopment and revitalization within the city’s core.”

In order to be eligible for the program, a business must be located on Texas Parkway between Hwy. 90A and Cartwright Road, and Cartwright Road between Texas Parkway and Dulles Avenue. Additional criteria pertain to the properties’ occupancy status, year built, timeline for completion, ownership requirements and the ability to maintain improvements for at least two years.

Eligible facade improvements include painting, signage, landscaping, parking lot repaving and restriping, exterior lighting, and more. The committee has also designated some improvement projects as priorities.

City Council is required to take two votes to approve the program. These votes are scheduled for Nov. 1 and Nov. 15. If approved, Nettles said the application for the Facade Improvement Program will go live on Nov. 16.

Applications will be reviewed and scored by an internal committee based on the number of priority projects that will be undertaken and compliance with architectural design standards, Nettles said. All applications will come before City Council for approval.

“I do want to thank you and the committee for coming up with this program to help build the corridor that we’ve all been speaking about for so long,” Council Member Vashaundra Edwards said to Nettles during the Oct. 18 meeting.