City of Virginia Beach Development Authority Awards 20 Facade Improvement Grants

May 22, 2025

Matching grants of up to $10,000 were awarded to eligible local businesses.

Twenty local, small businesses have won matching grants of up to $10,000 to improve their properties in Virginia Beach.

The City of Virginia Beach Development Authority (VBDA) awarded the Facade Improvement Grants (FIG) to eligible Virginia Beach businesses to make exterior improvements to their buildings.

For five years, this popular program has provided financial assistance to businesses and property owners for the improvement of commercial properties they own or rent. Since the program’s inception, VBDA has awarded $582,979 to 80 small businesses that have invested approximately $2.1 million in our community.

The program, which is administered by the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development, provides the grants for improvements such as paint, fencing, parking upgrades, signage, accent or security lighting and other enhancements that will help improve the appearance and attractiveness of the property.

“We are thrilled to be able to award 20 grants this year, the fifth year of this program,” said Lisa Murphy, VBDA chair. “The response to the program has been overwhelming, and we have seen the positive impact that it has had on our commercial corridors. We plan to offer this program again next year to once again incentivize small businesses and property owners to enhance the appearance of their buildings in a manner that contributes to the overall revitalization of our city.”

Congratulations to the 2025 FIG recipients located throughout Virginia Beach within six of the 10 City Districts:

Beach Bully BBQ
JMT Sweets & More
The Vintage Cauldron
Rockafeller’s
Karma Longboards
Robins Consulting
Driveway Motors
MMM Coffee
MNPN Lady’s Boutique & More
Plaza Bakery
Lakeshore Property I
JWFNS Hilltop
Atlantic Veterinary Center
Snip Atlantic
Esoteric
Atlantic Avenue Association (nonprofit)
Animal Medical Center
Waffles & Company
The Pig Shop Barbeque Eatery
MPN Group/Virginia Beach School of the Arts

Facade Improvement Grant information and 2026 program announcements can be found at www.yesvirginiabeach.com/fig. Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and will be scored based on the evaluation criteria, which is available online. The 2026 FIG Program will be announced in January 2026.