BG announces first recipients of downtown grant funds
Published 6:00 am Tuesday, October 27, 2026
The sun falls behind the fountain in the middle of Fountain Square Park in downtown Bowling Green on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026
(JACK DOBBS / Daily News)
The first funding allocations have been given from a new Bowling Green program aimed at helping downtown businesses and tenants make improvements to their locations.
Bowling Green city commissioners approved the first recipients last Tuesday. Dubbed the the Downtown Improvement Grants Matching Funds program, it is similar in nature to the longstanding Strategic Neighborhood Grants program. Funding is applied for by individuals and the city funds projects in two cycles, one in the fall and one in the spring.
“We’ve got $40,000 this year dedicated to this,” Downtown Development Coordinator Telia Butler told commissioners. “We wanted to give as much as half of it for this first cycle.”
Funding is awarded on a 50-50 match. This means that businesses awarded funding will provide a dollar-for-dollar match on the amount they are awarded.
Twenty-four downtown businesses submitted a combined $110,000 in funding applications, with a total of $21,500 in funding dispersed to seven applicants. Leftover money will go into the spring cycle.
As the program goes on, funding amounts will be between $2,500 on the low end to a maximum of $7,500. Projects that receive funding may include things like improving signage, restoring parts of historic downtown structures, safety improvements and “placemaking initiatives,” such as murals.
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Projects that received funding Tuesday include:
- Shake Rag Barbershop landscaping and parking lot improvements ($3,000);
- White Squirrel Brewery exterior property improvements ($3,500);
- Mellow Mushroom exterior mural project ($3,000);
- Food School classroom soundproofing project at Houchens Industries Small Business Accelerator ($2,500);
- Atomic Kitchen pop culture statues ($3,000);
- 904 State St. historical facade restoration ($3,000), and;
- Candle Makers on the Square window replacement and exterior refresh ($3,500).
Butler told officials the amount invested by the city through the program is part of a larger figure when accounting for the matches from businesses.
“We’ve got $21,500 in our public investment, with $87,500 represented in private investment here … just for this first round,” she said. “(We’re) looking forward to seeing all of these come to life.”
About Jack Dobbs
Jack covers city government for the Daily News. Originally from Simpson County, he attended Western Kentucky University and graduated in 2022 with a degree in journalism.
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