Downtown grants nearly tapped as biz rush to refresh buildings; Urban Renewal considers upping ante

Grants already in the works for facade renovation include the Canton Wok building as well as the building seen here just to the east in the 300 block of east Second Street.

The Dalles, Ore., May 16, 2026 — A downtown façade improvement program designed to help property owners repaint, repair and refresh aging storefronts in The Dalles is proving so popular that Urban Renewal officials are already considering adding another $50,000 to keep the grants flowing.

The Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency Board will consider increasing the Exterior Refresh Pilot Program funding cap from $100,000 to $150,000 during its Tuesday meeting after applications and approved commitments quickly climbed to about $82,250 since the program opened in February.

Downtown leaders have increasingly focused on visible improvements as the city works through years of major construction and redevelopment projects, arguing that cleaner and more attractive storefronts can help boost business confidence, improve foot traffic and encourage additional private investment in vacant or aging buildings.

The program offers 100% reimbursement for eligible exterior improvements up to $7,500 per property. Eligible work includes painting, graffiti removal, façade cleaning, minor siding and trim repair, tuckpointing, stucco patching and other street-visible improvements to aging downtown buildings.

New windows, awnings, parking lot work and interior remodels are not eligible under the pilot program.

The speed of applications appears to have caught Urban Renewal staff by surprise.

The pilot officially opened Feb. 20 and quickly drew what staff described as “strong early interest” from downtown property owners and tenants. According to the staff report, only about $17,750 remains under the current $100,000 cap — enough for roughly two more full grants before the original funding allocation runs out.

Grants for facade renovation for Brick City & Games and the Matthew’s building in the 400 block of East Second are also in the works.

If approved Tuesday, the additional $50,000 would fund approximately six more full awards while still leaving flexibility for smaller projects. Urban Renewal staff said the increase would help preserve the “momentum” already created by the pilot program while keeping it manageable and targeted toward smaller, visible projects downtown.

The applications list already includes a growing number of downtown properties seeking assistance for exterior upgrades. One approved project at 312-320 E. Second St. received a full $7,500 reimbursement award. Other applications are still moving through the approval process as staff verifies eligibility and documentation.

Urban Renewal officials say the expanded funding would not change the structure of the program. Property owners would still be limited to $7,500 per building, and applicants must remain current on property taxes and city accounts to qualify.

The façade effort is part of a broader push by Urban Renewal leaders to encourage visible reinvestment downtown ahead of the district’s planned closure in 2029. Urban Renewal officials have also noted that the downtown core currently carries an estimated 9.29% vacancy rate, with many empty storefronts concentrated along Second and Third streets.

Tuesday’s meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at The Dalles City Hall and will be livestreamed on ZOOM.