MassDevelopment Awards $10,000 Grant To Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District

June 7, 2021 : Cape & Plymouth Business Media, by Carol Dumas

Local businesses on Main Street, Hyannis are eligible to apply for $500 grants to help them improve their storefronts with lights, plants and other décor, and add outdoor seating.

The funding comes from MassDevelopment, which has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District. The businesses that will be assisted by this program, called Hyannis Business Reopening Beautification Boost Grants, are located in an area of Hyannis currently served by MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative. The funds are awarded through MassDevelopment’s special Commonwealth Places COVID-19 Response Round: Resurgent Places, which was made available specifically to assist local economic recovery efforts as community partners prepare public spaces and commercial districts to serve residents and visitors.

“Before this pandemic, the vibrant centers of our cities and towns were not only a driving force behind the strength of local economies, they were the places where we gathered to dine, to shop, and to be entertained, and the Commonwealth Places program is one way that we can help these areas bounce back stronger than ever,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, who serves as chair of MassDevelopment’s Board of Directors.

“This money is for businesses to spend on the items that can jazz up their storefronts, and at this critical moment of reopening it’s really an investment in bringing downtown Hyannis’ economy back from the impacts of COVID-19,” said MassDevelopment President and CEO Dan Rivera. “MassDevelopment is focused on critical neighborhoods in communities like downtown Hyannis to make sure they are not left behind as we advance economic recovery. We are proud to support the Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District and the work it does to revitalize storefronts and activate its Main Street.”

Created in 2016, Commonwealth Places aims to engage and mobilize community members to make individual contributions to placemaking projects, with the incentive of a funding match from MassDevelopment if the crowdfunding goal is reached.

Expressions of interest will be accepted on a rolling basis until June 30, 2021 and are available at massdevelopment.com/commonwealthplaces.

MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development agency, works with businesses, nonprofits, banks, and communities to stimulate economic growth across the Commonwealth.