Hartford’s Arena District Fund
The Arena District Grant program is…
Our Continued Mission
Enhance Hartford’s Small Business Community
The Hartford Chamber of Commerce serves to support our business community. After the success of the Hart Lift program, an award-winning program that distributed American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to property owners and small businesses, we’re thrilled to continue our work with the Arena District Investment Fund.
The goal of this new program is to continue to empower business owners and bring the urban core of Hartford to life. This funding will directly impact the area around the newly renovated PeoplesBank Arena at 1 Civic Center Plaza, Hartford, CT.
Program Details
Eligibility & Parameters
Arena District Grant funding is for property owners with businesses tenants.
Property owner and business owners must be in good standing located in the City of Hartford (e.g., not delinquent on real or personal property taxes)
All properties must be on the ground floor retail space
Properties with existing tenant must have a lease of a minimum 3 years
Arena District Grant grants can only be used for buildout costs. Eligible work may include, but not be limited to:
Floor, stair, ceiling, general façade work, handicapped accessibility projects, installation and/or repair of plumbing, electrical, heating, and ventilation.
Costs associated with the purchase, delivery, and installation of furniture, fixtures, and equipment are also eligible.
Soft costs, including but not limited to architect and engineer fees, can be eligible but shall not exceed 10% of total reimbursement amount.
Additional details:
Property owners with business tenants are eligible for a grant of $50 per square foot, up to $150,000 max.
Any grant award amount in the designated downtown area must be matched at 100% by the owner of the property, the proprietor, or a combination of both parties.
Any grant award amount in the designated neighborhoods must be matched at 50% by the owner of the property, the proprietor, or a combination of both parties.
Grant awardees are required to spend their match prior to grant fund disbursement.
Property owners with multiple vacant storefronts can apply for a grant for each empty property.
Get Started
Application
Ready to get started? You can apply at our typeform below. This application will require several pieces of information, including:
Property owner and tenant information
Business type/NAICS code
Revenue numbers
Scope of work for the projectLease terms
Preliminary design renderings
Proof of insurance
Can’t finish the application in one sitting? Typeform allows you to close out of the window and return where you left off for up to 15 days, after which the data will be deleted and you will have to restart the application.
