New Building Exterior Lighting Grant Program aims to increase downtown safety

A new grant program from the City of Winnipeg is looking to make downtown safer by adding more lights.

The Building Exterior Lighting Grant Program is encouraging building owners to invest in exterior building lighting to create a more inviting and safe pedestrian environment downtown.

“Downtown is an awesome place, but we have heard from Winnipeggers that there are areas we can be doing better, both on the City side and on the property owners’ side,” said Mike Jack, Chief Corporate Services Officer.

The program focuses on integration of exterior architectural lighting that will be cost shared between the property owner and the City.

“What it does is it allows us to partner with property owners wishing to upgrade their existing exterior lighting or introduce exterior lighting where none exists currently,” said Jack. “Even areas like alleys, for instance, have private property adjacent to that so those are areas we are trying to target.”

Eligible applicants can receive up to $5,000 for professional design consulting and up to $10,000 per exterior wall of the building. Up to $300,000 over two years will be available through this program.

Applications will be reviewed by the Urban Planning and Design Division in the Planning, Property and Development Department to ensure the proposed improvements meet eligibility requirements, applicable by-laws, codes, standards and are consistent with the guidelines.

A professional lighting designer or design consultant must be used and the work has to be completed within 12 months of being awarded a grant.

The first application deadline is April 1, 2019. Subsequent deadlines are every four months until October 2020, subject to funding availability.

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