Downtown Brownwood property owners and businesses could receive new financial help as the city prepares for the next phase of its Downtown Master Plan. The Brownwood Municipal Development District Board of Directors approved two programs Tuesday: the new Partnership Assisting Vital Enterprise, or PAVE, Program, and a revamped Building Improvement Incentive program for fiscal year 2026-27.
The programs are intended to support downtown improvements before and during construction expected to begin in early 2027 on the Downtown Streetscape Project along Fisk and Baker Avenues. The PAVE Program will reimburse eligible permanent improvements that help maintain secondary customer access while construction affects the corridor.
Up to $10,000 available through PAVE
The BMDD has set aside $150,000 for PAVE. Commercial property owners, property managers with written authorization from owners, and existing businesses within the Downtown Streetscape Project area may qualify for up to $10,000.
Eligible work includes improving secondary business entrances with doors, lighting and signage; removing customer-access barriers through walkways and ramps; and making permanent building improvements connected to secondary entrances. Exterior work such as lighting, awnings, windows and facade features may also qualify when it supports those entrances.
Brownwood Deputy City Manager Ray Tipton said the program is aimed at businesses along the construction corridor that are directly affected and could experience some disruption once work begins. He said the funding can help create or improve access while enhancing the downtown area’s appearance.
Building grants narrowed to exterior improvements
The revamped Building Improvement Incentive Program will concentrate funding in the downtown corridor, where officials say coordinated investment can complement the city’s streetscape work and encourage continued reinvestment in older buildings.
The program’s goals include supporting improvements that build on the city’s downtown infrastructure investment, helping owners and businesses improve the exterior character of buildings, and creating a more attractive environment for residents, visitors and future businesses.
The city’s matching grant of up to $25,000 will continue, but the types of eligible improvements have been narrowed. Funding will focus on doors and windows, exterior painting, exterior lighting, awnings, general facade enhancements and architectural details.
Tipton told the board that aligning building improvements with the streetscape project could increase the visible impact across downtown. He said some businesses have improved their facades during the past decade, while others have not, creating an opportunity to refresh more of the downtown corridor as street work is completed.
Programs to be reviewed before next budget
Tipton told the BMDD Board that both programs will be revisited before next year’s fiscal budget is finalized. Officials will use that review to determine whether changes are warranted.
The BMDD Board also approved its 2026-27 fiscal-year budget. The budget still requires approval from the Brownwood City Council at a future meeting.