Chester officials give up to $50,000 in grants to help revamp businesses

CHESTER, Pa. - When you walk down the streets of Chester it’s not uncommon to see buildings with locks on them and businesses that look like they haven’t been operating in years, but city official say they’re trying to fix that. 

"I want to see the city come back and I want to see my people come back," said Bernard Cleveland, who used to live in Chester. 

As Cleveland walks the streets of Chester, he sees the past. 

"People would come from out of town to shop, they would bypass Philadelphia, just to shop here. We had like seven movie theaters and a bowling alley, we had all those things but everything is gone now. Everything is deceased now in the city, but I would love to see it come back," said Cleveland. 

Signs of that comeback start with business minds like Chester native Roland Taylor, the owner of Journey Tax and Duo Taco. 

"It’s easy to appreciate what we have here right now, but it wasn’t always like that. If you came on this block three, four years ago that was our situation," said Taylor as he showcases the front of his business.

Taylor has the images to prove it including the beat down inside his taco shop, which is now serving up delicious food. 

"Chester is a desert for a lot of things economically, social economically, so, meaningful business is what it needs. A lot of companies are kind of like scared to bet on Chester," said Taylor. 

That’s why city leaders are trying to make it less of a gamble with their facade enhancement initiative. 

MORE HEADLINES: 

• Man fatally shot in head in Philadelphia mosque parking lot: police
• 9 members of gun trafficking ring arrested in Montgomery County: DA
• Community disputes 'illegal speakeasy' in Southwest Philly after man shot in field

A pilot program to revitalize the city’s business district by providing grants of up to $50,000 per property to eligible commercial building owners on the 400 and 500 block of the Avenue of the States. 

This allows them to transform their establishments' visual appeal, something Taylor has applied to. 

"When something is so rough around the edges you kind of judge it before that first impression so, to help us aesthetically and give us more of a curb appeal, you can only benefit," said Taylor.

A benefit for the businesses, the mayor of Chester, and those who call this city home. 

"To the extent that a homegrown boy can help my homegrown brothers and sisters right here on the Avenue make their businesses look great is a big win," said the Mayor of Chester, Stefan Roots.

"I think it’s a great thing, on the one hand, yes, beautify the city, I love that but also how can we now uplift peoples mindsets," said Montorrah Johnson, a Chester Resident. 

The last day for businesses to apply for the grant is Wednesday.

The grant is using leftover COVID Relief money.