DID considers storefront improvement grants

Sarasota’s Downtown Improvement District (DID) is considering a storefront grant program for downtown businesses.

At the DID meeting Tuesday, board members said they want to bring back a grant program that would fund storefront improvements to businesses in the downtown district.

The City Commission would have to approve the program before it is put in place. In the past, the City Commission voted to stop a similar grant program because of a lack of funding.

The DID board also discussed the possibility of moving the new economic development director’s office to City Hall. Another possibility would be to provide a smaller, part-time office space at City Hall for the new economic director Norman Gollub, who was hired in December.

Gollub currently works out of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. The former economic development manager for Greenville, S.C. was hired by theree organizations—the city, the Chamber and the DID.