A new grant program to improve the appearance of downtown Madison is a great idea, and we urge property owners and business tenants to take advantage of it.

The program offers a 50/50 match on approved projects to improve the facade of any building downtown. The idea is to make exterior improvements that make a building look better and improve the overall look of the core downtown area.

Facade improvements typically include windows, doors, brickwork, siding, lighting, signage, landscaping or awnings. The downtown core area is defined as the eight blocks bordered by N. 2nd St., S. 2nd St., Van Eps Ave. and Harth Ave.

The project is jointly sponsored by the Greater Madison Area Chamber of Commerce and the Lake Area Improvement Corporation. A facade improvement committee -- all graduates of the Chamber's Leadership Madison program -- will look at applications and decide which ones will be approved.

The 50/50 match essentially means a property owner (or tenant with the property owner's permission) would split the cost of a project, with a maximum grant amount of $5,000. In other words, a $4,000 project would be paid for with $2,000 from the property owner and $2,000 from the Chamber/LAIC. A $12,000 project would be paid for with $7,000 from the property owner and the maximum $5,000 from the Chamber/LAIC.

The money comes from the budgets of both organizations. The Chamber's portion is a reallocation of sponsorship funds from events that weren't held as planned in 2020 due to COVID-19. There is a total of $33,000 available.

We think this is a great idea, and we encourage downtown businesses to take advantage of it. The attractiveness of a downtown area is important, and good-looking facades help bring local residents and visitors downtown.

Many other communities have had similar programs, and they are generally considered as successes. Programs vary in their details, but the goal is the same: improving the overall look of a business district.

The application deadline is Jan. 29, and work on the facades must be complete within six months. The $33,000 will improve the looks of at least six businesses and probably more, which will make the overall look of the district more attractive.

We encourage property owners and businesses to take advantage of this program.

-- Jon M. Hunter