First Round of Pittsfield Glow Up! Business Improvement Grants Announced

Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. (DPI) and the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation (PERC) have announced the first round of Glow Up! Grant recipients in the city of Pittsfield. The following businesses and property owners have been awarded grant funding for signs, painting, lighting, and improvements to their entryways: Berkshire Aesthetic Medicine, Berkshire Fitness & Wellness Center, Brooklyn’s Best, Deidre’s Special Day, Marketplace Cafe, Pampered Pup Dog Day Spa, South Street Pizza House, Spirited Shears, Steven Valenti – as property owner of 155 North Street – Paul Aronofsky, as property owner of 417 North Street, Paul Aronofsky – as property owner of 344 North Street, and Ann Deneault & Francis Smith – as property owners 324 North Street.

Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. and the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation are co-facilitating The Pittsfield Glow Up! Business Improvement Grant Program made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The program’s purpose is to provide grants of up to $10,000 to eligible businesses affected by COVID-19 within ARPA’s disproportionately impacted district of Pittsfield.

Grant recipients were selected using a grading system that ranked their responses on how COVID-19 impacted their business, on the details of the projects to be funded by the grant, and on the impact the projects would make on their space, keeping in the spirit of “Glowing Up” our community.

“Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., PERC, and the Glow Up! Business Improvement Grant Selection Committee appreciated the opportunity to consider so many applications,” says Rebecca Brien, Managing Director of Downtown Pittsfield, Inc. “We are excited to be able to disperse a total of $100,000 in ARPA grants to twelve businesses. The number of deserving requests speaks to the overwhelming need for these types of grant opportunities in our community. We are encouraged that we will be able to offer a second round of Glow Up! Grants this fall, as it is vitally important for us to support the time, effort, and commitment our business community makes to our city.”

Any grant-related questions may be directed to Rebecca Brien, Managing Director of Downtown Pittsfield, Inc., at 413-443-6501 or [email protected]