Onancock Main St. awards additional Facade Improvement Grants

Pictured: Onancock courtesy of At Altitude Gallery.

Onancock Main Street has awarded an additional $7,236 in exterior improvement grants to four downtown Onancock businesses, expanding the reach of its public-facing building enhancement program.

The new awards follow an earlier round of funding made possible through a Virginia Main Street Downtown Investment Grant, which provided $35,000 to support exterior improvements for nine downtown businesses. In total, 18 businesses applied for the original grant funding, requesting more than $63,000—nearly double the amount available.

The four new recipients were among the original applicants. Additional funding was secured through Virginia Main Street’s American Rescue Plan Act Supplemental Funding, allowing Onancock Main Street to extend assistance beyond the initial awards.

“Our downtown businesses demonstrated such interest in creating a more inviting downtown for residents and visitors that we immediately wanted to identify more funds,” said Cindy Mackey, chair of the Onancock Main Street Economic Vitality Committee.

Grant funds are intended to improve public-facing exterior spaces, encourage economic growth and visitation in the downtown district, and support redevelopment, beautification, and historic preservation efforts. Many of the awarded projects include required matching contributions from property owners, increasing the overall level of private investment in downtown Onancock.

Power washing emerged as a common request among applicants, and Onancock Main Street is coordinating with vendors to assist businesses interested in participating in a shared effort.

The latest grant awards include:

• 10 North Street – brick masonry repointing, $2,300
• 33 Market Street – replacement of wood trim with Azek trim, $1,500
• 2 King Street – installation of oyster shells along the building perimeter to reduce erosion, $1,436
• 2 Market Street – installation of oyster shells along the building perimeter to reduce erosion, $2,000

Onancock Main Street is a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization that works in partnership with the Town of Onancock and other stakeholders to promote the vitality and preservation of the historic downtown. The organization is accredited by Main Street America and Virginia Main Street, both dedicated to strengthening downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts nationwide.