Economic Development
Design Grants
The Collaborative provides grants of pro bono preliminary design services to community development corporations (CDCs) and other community-based nonprofits to support their efforts to revitalize neighborhood commercial corridors. Design Grants focus on the redevelopment of storefront façades, retail or mixed-use buildings, streetscapes, and open space. They promote design excellence and impactful reinvestment with conceptual plans, renderings, estimates, and other design services. Apply for a Design Grant.
rStore Facade Improvement Consultations
The Collaborative provides design consultations to store owners who are applying for grants and loans to improve their storefront facades. Volunteer architects, interior designers, and cost estimators provide recommendations and sketches to guide repainting, the restoration of historical features, and the replacement of signage, lighting, windows, and doors. Consultations are provided through community development corporations and other nonprofits, who recruit store owners on their corridors to participate.
The Storefront Challenge
The Storefront Challenge is a citywide contest that recognizes excellence in storefront facade improvements in Philadelphia. Every two years, the Community Design Collaborative and the Philadelphia Department of Commerce invite business owners, customers, neighbors, designers, contractors, corridor managers, community organizations, and property owners to nominate the best storefront façade improvement projects throughout the city. The finalists and winners in the Challenge are selected by a jury of economic development, retail, and design experts and recognized in a special awards celebration.
Corridor Realities
The Community Design Collaborative and the Philadelphia Department of Commerce co-host a bi-annual workshop on how to use design to address the real challenges of revitalizing neighborhood commercial corridors. Recent topics have included creative façade makeovers, redeveloping the “white elephant” on the block, transforming streetscapes, and using tactical design to make things happen.
