The Application Deadline for the Renaissance Downtown Challenge has Passed

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The  Oswego  Renaissance Association offers Matching Funds (up to $2,000) to owners of eligible businesses, in Oswego's Traditional Downtown area, to create attractive and vibrant Outdoor Seating Environments (OaSEs) for customers. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a  challenging environment for restaurants and other human service retail in Oswego, NY. OaSEs are needed to keep customers safe and for businesses to remain healthy. Space for customers to sit outdoors is at a premium. While human service retail in Oswego has created some outdoor seating on sidewalks, it has not realized its full potential. Various types of OaSEs, such as sidewalk cafes and Parklets, are more than tables and chairs on the sidewalk. OaSEs buffer customers from the sight and sounds of traffic, protect them from sun, and are attractive environments that people want to be in. The goal of the Renaissance Downtown Challenge is to incentivize eligible downtown businesses to significantly expand and/or improve their outdoor seating through the creation of OaSEs in front of their businesses.

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What Types of Businesses are Eligible?

 

     To be eligible, a business must meet two criteria:

 

       I. Business Types

 

            Eligibility is Limited to locally owned:

                       

                        Restaurants

                        Sub/Sandwich or Pizza Shops

                        Coffee Houses

                        Ice Cream Parlors

                        Barbershops and/or Hair Salons

      

            Any other businesses, such as convenience stores, bars, etc are not eligible in this 2021 pilot program. A business identified as a bar,              but which provides a menu with a wide range of cooked food options, where food is cooked an prepared on the premises, and seating

            is used, may be classified as a Restaurant for our purposes and may be eligible.  Depending on the program's success, future years

            may expand business eligibility.  

 

      II. Business Location in Target Area

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             For this application year (2021) eligibility is limited to businesses located in or near Oswego's TD1 (Traditional Downtown) zoning areas,

             outlined in red, in the City of Oswego zoning map.

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How to Participate for 2021

Look to see if your business is in our current Downtown Target Zones. Businesses in target zones are especially encouraged to apply.

 

If you decide to apply for the Renaissance Downtown Challenge for 2021, do the following: 1) Look at How to Create a Competitive Application (below), 2) then go through the Frequently Asked Questions, 3) Look at the visual examples provided at the bottom of this page, and 4) Download the application for the Renaissance Downtown Challenge Grant (below). Applications are due April 1.  Awarded Projects must be executed in 2021. Businesses submitting applications are encouraged to contact the ORA with any questions in order to prepare and submit  a detailed application. Award decisions will occur the first half of April.

 

1. IMPORTANT: How to Create a Competitive Application

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2. Frequently Asked Questions.

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GRANT APPLICATIONS WERE DUE ON APRIL 1ST, 2021