The U District Partnership has introduced the 2023 U District Vacant Spaces Revival Grant program. The initiative is an opportunity to use grant money to spruce up ground-floor storefronts in Seattle’s University District.

Grants from the program will provide funding to invest in fixed asset improvements, such as purchasing specialized equipment and exterior or interior renovations necessary to operate in a ground-floor commercial space.

This fund aims to defray the significant costs associated with opening a new ground-floor commercial business. The one-time funding can be used to offset the start-up costs of operating, expanding, or relocating into a vacant ground-floor commercial space in the U District.

This fund is a part of the federal ARPA program. It was awarded to the U District Partnership by the Washington State Department of Commerce to support small, BIPOC-, and women-owned businesses. The U District Partnership is Seattle’s University District’s primary place management organization.