The Canby City Council — in its role as the Canby Urban Renewal Agency — has approved a façade improvement matching grant for up to $25,000 to replace the damaged and decaying awning over Rice Time, a restaurant in downtown Canby specializing in teriyaki and Asian cuisine.
The new awning will also feature a color change, from the current maroon with an old-timey font choice to a stylish black and white, according to a mock-up from the applicant, Yeonsil Jung.
The Main Street Design Committee was also in favor of the refresh, noting that the current aging façade is visible from Highway 99E as well as downtown Canby and that the proposed redesign is more in keeping with its neighbors, the Bell office building and Howard’s Barbershop.
Since 2010, the URA has funded construction grants of up to $25,000 to encourage private investment in the city’s Urban Renewal District, which includes downtown Canby, the Canby industrial park and a narrow strip of 99E that connects the two.
The city’s façade improvement program partners with property owners and businesses to make improvements to the exterior of buildings that are clearly visible from the street, providing grants of up to $25,000, with matching funds required from the property owner.
This program has been successful in generating design improvements at approximately three properties per year, including significant upgrades at the Holly Mall and former Parsons building earlier this year.
Other beneficiaries include Bricks & Minifigs, Canby Station, the former Canby Herald building, Country Side Living and Ebner’s Custom Meats.