Texas Border Business
The City of McAllen is the premier retail shopping destination in South Texas and northern Mexico. While new shopping centers and box chains continue to open in McAllen, city leaders know that small businesses are a critical component of the retail success of the community. Hoping to help small businesses compete with big box, modern construction, the City of McAllen has continued to fund an ongoing grant revitalization program.
Refresh 50/50 is a matching grant program for designated business corridors in McAllen that will allow for small, local businesses to apply for a matching grant of up to $15,000 from the McAllen Retail & Business Development Department for improvements to the storefronts.
“Some of these businesses in McAllen may not have the extra capital to make renovations and improvements to their original store fronts,” said McAllen Mayor Jim Darling. “This grant is intended to be flexible and can help businesses make repairs or improvements to storefront appearance such as update and replace signs, install new doors, windows and lighting; add new paint or art projects to the storefront exterior; or even revitalize landscaping. I encourage every local, small business to apply for this grant.”
A perk of the approved Refresh 50/50 grant projects is that the usual permit fees for such construction projects are waived and are, in fact, fast-tracked for faster approval and completion.
Designated areas include:
- 10th Street from Houston Avenue to Nolana Avenue
- U.S. Business 83, from McColl Road to 29th Street
- 23rd Street, from Idela Avenue to Pecan Boulevard
- S. Ware Road, from Idela Avenue to Pecan Boulevard
The Refresh 50/50 grant program was first funded in 2019 by the McAllen Development Corp. and has been renewed twice already. Funds are on a first come, first serve basis and are available as matching grants and projects are completed.
