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A boost for business districts

Love Local Storefronts enhance the vibrancy, walkability, and cultural identity of commercial corridors while supporting locally owned, independent businesses.

Six Hennepin County cities will receive funding to support storefront upgrades in their business districts through the new Love Local Storefronts program.

The Hennepin County Housing and Redevelopment Authority approved $225,000 in reimbursement grant funds to help improve the vitality and appearance of small business districts across the county. The funding will support storefront upgrades in Dayton, Deephaven, Hopkins, Medina, Robbinsdale, and St. Louis Park.  

Eligible property owners can apply for grants between $5,000 to $15,000. Grants will fund exterior improvements such as tuck pointing, new entrances and windows, or pedestrian scale lighting, with business owners providing a dollar-for-dollar match.

Love Local Storefronts grants

  • The Dayton Economic Development Authority (EDA) will administer façade improvement grants for eligible business properties located in the city’s historic Old Town District.
  • The City of Deephaven will administer façade improvement grants for businesses located in Chowen’s Corner, a district with an estimated 55 businesses, with properties that date back to the 1920s.
  • The City of Hopkins will expand its existing façade improvement program for Downtown Hopkins, which is home to about 150 small and locally owned businesses.
  • The City of Medina will administer façade improvement grants for properties located in Uptown Hamel, a business district with approximately 20 small businesses.
  • The City of Robbinsdale will administer façade improvement funds in their historic downtown, which is home to an estimated 66 small businesses, to further catalyze efforts supporting growth and renewal, particularly ahead of the proposed Blue Line Light Rail Extension.
  • The St. Louis Park EDA will administer façade improvement grants in multiple walkable business districts throughout the city with over 350 estimated small businesses.

Love Local Storefronts builds on the success of Hennepin County’s Business District Initiative, which has invested over $330,000 since 2015 and leveraged nearly $1 million in additional funding. This new program streamlines the process and expands access to communities with fewer resources.

The six selected districts represent a diverse mix of historic downtowns and emerging commercial areas, collectively home to more than 600 small businesses. The program is expected to directly benefit 15 to 20 businesses and generate at least $375,000 in matching investments.