About the PA Route 6 Facade Program

Thanks to a Keystone Communities grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), PA Route 6 Alliance has provided local business owners with matching funds to improve storefronts and other projects. So far, the Facade Program has helped businesses in the PA Wilds (2020), Endless Mountains (2021), Great Lakes Region (2022), and Lackawanna County (2023). 

At PA Route 6 Alliance, the PA Route 6 Façade Program is just one aspect of the great work we do in communities across our 11-county corridor. This program alone has contributed over $1 million over the past four years in economic impact in communities in the PA Wilds (2020), Endless Mountains (2021), Great Lakes Region (2022), and Lackawanna County (2023). Through grant funding provided by the DCED, PA Route 6 Alliance was able to assist businesses in neighboring Heritage Areas along the Route 6 corridor improve the look and appeal of their storefronts, install new signage, and make other improvements designed to enhance their appearance while also preserving their cultural and historical beauty.

The PA Route 6 Façade Program awards matching grants to business owners, and all of these funds stay local through collaboration and contracting with local construction companies who employ local workers who in turn support other local businesses. This economic benefit far exceeds the initial investment and will continue to provide financial gains for each community for years to come.

This program has been such a success that many businesses within our Heritage Area have requested we bring the PA Route 6 Façade Program to their communities in the future. And we hope to do just that.

Watch the video below to see interviews with our Facade Coordinator as well as business owners who have received facade grants in the Great Lakes Region. It’s an honor to have brought this program to so many communities and small businesses across PA Route 6!