Downtown Façade Improvement Program renewed

NEW LONDON – The city of New London is bringing back the Downtown Façade Improvement Program in 2026, with $55,000 in grant funds available for city businesses to apply for.
The New London Common Council approved the renewal of the program at a special council meeting, March 4.
Along with the approval, the council also approved recommended changes to the program made by the New London Economic Development Committee. The committee recommended opening the façade improvement program up to businesses not located in downtown New London. Only downtown businesses would be eligible to apply during the first round of applications, with a deadline of April 17 to apply. If there are funds left over after the first round of applications and grant awards, then the grant program would be opened up at a later date to other businesses within the city limits of New London on a first-come, first-served basis.
Committee meeting
At the March 4 Economic Development Committee meeting, New London City Administrator Chad Hoerth told the committee that the Downtown Façade Improvement Program in 2025 was “probably the most successful program we’ve had in the last five years.” In 2025, the city received 19 façade grant applications.

“Obviously that was part of the downtown reconstruction project,” Hoerth said. “A lot of the property owners jumped on the bandwagon and helped out to really improve the downtown after the reconstruction of North Water Street.”
He added that the city moving to a $4,000 matching grant in recent years from a $2,000 matching grant also contributed to increased interest from businesses.
Things that businesses completed last year as part of the grant program included repairs, painting, façade improvements, signage, roof replacement, window replacement, and new awnings.
In 2025, the city had originally budgeted $40,000 for the downtown façade improvement program, but with strong interest from businesses, an additional $20,000 was added to the program, Hoerth said.
A total of $35,000 of the $60,000 was awarded in grants to businesses under the program. Hoerth said some planned projects didn’t come to fruition for assorted reasons.
He added that the businesses who participated in the downtown façade improvement program provided $173,000 in improvements in the downtown district because of the program.
There has also been interest from businesses in participating in the program in 2026, Hoerth said.
“I am recommending that we do another round of this at the $40,000 mark,” Hoerth said. “The council did approve to put the money from last year’s budget into our economic development fund that would fund these programs.”
He added that he would like the city to keep the “momentum going” for improving the downtown district.