In 2019, Invest Atlanta was awarded a $65,000 grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to administer and market a small business improvement program for property owners. The fund is intended to help owners make improvements to their buildings, increase the value of their property, ensure buildings are fit for tenants and create beautification in the commercial corridors. 

Invest Atlanta is now awarding the first of these grants to four different properties in the Pittsburgh, Peoplestown, and Mechanicsville neighborhoods for a total of $40,000. Three of the properties are clustered around McDaniel Street, which is a key corridor in the Pittsburgh neighborhood, and the fourth is on nearby Pryor Street.

“We’re happy to have projects within such close proximity to each other,” says Jennifer Fine, vice president of Planning & Strategic Initiatives for Invest Atlanta. “These property owners take great pride in their buildings, and we’re pleased the funding will serve different types of projects within this community.”

Recipients will use the grants for window and door replacement, gates and fencing, as well as waterproofing for much-wanted restaurant space in the community.